Raging Hormones
by Toonwalla
Summary: Young heiress Kokoro Shiro becomes lieutenant to Byakuya Kuchiki when Renji becomes 5th Squad captain. However her life takes a turn for the strange when she and Hitsugaya Toushiro get turned into adults by accident. Hitsu/OC (ON HIAUTUS)
1. Chapter 1

Big disclaimer!

Any thing Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

anything OC belongs to ME!

enjoy reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: The perfect candidate<strong>

Soul Society was in quite a state when Aizen had finally been defeated. Especially the sixth division's Captain Kuchiki Byakuya.

He was sitting alone in the dark shadows of his quarters at the Kuchiki Mansion analysing all the seated subordinate's profiles. It was almost midnight, only one lamp lit up the room and the rest was left to the moonlight.

The nobleman sighed in a defeated tone. So far none of the candidates were meeting his expectations and there were still so many more to go.

His old fukutaichou Abarai Renji had recently been promoted to captain of the fifth division. As much as the nobleman was privately quite proud of his old subordinate, he couldn't help but feel slightly disdained at the fact he'd have to have someone else to fill in for him...which was going to be difficult as Renji was one of a kind. All the other applicants he'd seen had not even had the potential to go as far as he had.

Byakuya looked at the next 258th sheet in front of him. Violet orbs and raven black hair stared up at him from the page. Byakuya stared blankly at his little sister in law's face.

_Maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea. I could keep an eye on her._

He pondered but then remembered that only just a few months ago she'd been beaten to a pulp by the Arrancar Zommari.

_No. Putting her as my fukutaichou would push her into doing more dangerous missions._

Again he was being the _overly protective older sibling_ that the human Kurosaki Ichigo had described him as. He frowned as he put the sheet of paper down into the already three foot high pile of rejected shinigami. The nobleman leaned back and rubbed his forehead.

_So many people to look at and only one to choose._

Then just as he was about to stand up, the uneven corner of a sheet caught his eye.

_Hmm let's see this one._

He extracted the sheet from the stack of profiles. The first thing that caught his eyes was the photograph of a child not that looked any older than 12 or 13. Their hair was an orange/golden colour cut in a bob cut with rough bangs. The eyes were quite unique, a light amber and almost catlike in shape. Their face was quite sweet despite the boyish appearance. But what really caught the captain's eyes were a pair of brown oversized cat ears sticking out from the top of the child's head and two faint stripes along each cheek. For some strange reason the youth held a freaky resemblance to Kurosaki Ichigo.

_It's just the hair._

"Shirō Kokoro" he muttered frowning "Kokoro? ...a feminine name for a boy" he muttered. Byakuya frowned as he looked at the gender line. It clearly read "F" for female.

Thank god nobody else was there to see him face palm at his own mistake.

"Shirō...where have I heard that name before?" he muttered quietly to himself.

And then it hit him. How could he have forgotten? The Shirō family was a clan that had devoted their lives to serving the Kuchiki clan as faithful body guards and other such services. They were very well known for producing very strong warriors. One of which was the famous Shirō Kazuya, the old and retired head of the family and an old friend of Byakuya's grandfather.

He looked at Kokoro's picture again. He'd heard rumours about the Shirō heiress and about her... peculiarities from many of the nobles during social meets. She, like Rukia had been adopted into the noble family seeing as her grandfather's children had died in the line of duty before being able to produce an heir.

"Let's see...8th seat of the eighth division. Born on the 20th of March..."

He quickly scanned the page. Her fighting credentials were very high, as were her superior's notes. Byakuya looked back up at her name just to make sure he would remember

"Well then...I will have to pay a visit to the eighth division" Byakuya smiled softly as he made his final decision.

* * *

><p>"Eh! Welcome Kuchiki Taicho!" A stunned Nanao stood at the front of the 8th division as Byakuya entered. He felt slightly odd about entering alone, usually Renji would have yelled hi loudly and animatedly by now.<p>

"I am here to talk to your captain." He said in his usual stern tone "is he in?"

"Oh!" Nanao looked a little relieved "yes sir he is in - for once" she muttered under her breath.

Quietly Nanao led him away in and out of corridors until they came to her captain's office, where Kyoraku Shunsui was sitting at his desk, or rather sleeping with his head on it.

"Um I'm sorry Kuchiki Taicho" Nanao tried holding in the shriek of frustration. "Will you give me one moment please?"

Byakuya nodded without any display of emotion; however deep down he was rather amused at his sempai's characteristic layback attitude. He waited as Nanao yelled and whacked her captain to wake him up, and as she whacked him again when he called her his "Nanao-chan".

"Ah Byakuya Taicho, Ohayo!" Kyoraku laughed and beckoned the other captain to join him at the desk. "What do I owe the pleasure?" he surveyed his colleague thoroughly as Nanao left the room.

It was rare for Byakuya to seek him out, and even rarer that he would do so in the morning. He offered him a drink but Byakuya refused politely.

"As you will know," the nobleman started coldly "my fuku - or should I say old fukutaichou, Abarai Renji has been promoted to Captain of the fifth division"

"Ah yes I heard of that, congratulations to you. I suppose you're looking for a new fukutaichou then?" Kyoraku smiled.

"Hmm" Byakuya nodded.

"Have you come to a decision yet?" Kyoraku asked "a division shouldn't be without a lieutenant for too long or else all your hair will start falling out." He chuckled loudly as he remembered a much younger Byakuya getting all harassed whenever Yoruichi was around.

Byakuya looked straight into the other captain's face without so much as cracking a smile "a very hard task but I have. I believe she is in your division"

Kyoraku's face lit up in surprise. He had not expected that. Byakuya was not usually keen to let women into such a close role. Not because he believed girls incapable, but they fangirled him constantly. Whoever she was, she must have really caught his eye or must have been especially unique. Indeed his suspicions were correct when Byakuya pushed a sheet of paper with his eighth seats credentials

Byakuya watched his sempai sigh slightly as he took the sheet of paper.

"You really know how to pick the talented ones don't you?" Kyoraku said a hint of a smirk on his face. "First Renji, now Kokoro"

"I just pick according to how I feel they best fit the job, as would every other captain. However" Byakuya took the paper back from Kyoraku who had fixed his normal smile back on his face" I have not finalised my decision as I have yet to meet her"

"Of course, of course. The candidate's personality must also fit the job"

_Knock. Knock._

"Um...Excuse me Taicho" a young girl's voice called from behind the screen door of the office.

"Yes?" Kyoraku called back to the door smiling.

Although Byakuya had seen the picture of Shirō Kokoro he was still taken by surprise when a 12 year old entered the room. Her hair wasn't as dark as it had been in the photograph but a soft shiny gold and slightly longer and neater. Her skin was pale rather like Rukia's was however he noticed on closer inspection that she had two faint marks on both sides of her jaw line like a cats whiskers.

He looked into her eyes and out of politeness prevented himself from gasping in surprise. No normal child could have such eyes. They were a light honey amber that shone as gold as her hair in the sunlight streaming in from the windows. They were catlike in shape and despite the lovely thick lashes; they had a sharp animalistic cunning about them that made him have the feeling of being X-rayed. At top of her head were her tiger ears which twitched in different directions as they surveyed the different sounds outside. A matching tiger tail swished behind her like a cats would, from atop, not the black hakama pants most shinigami wore, but short knee length black spats. On top she wore a Shihakushō top with shortened sleeves bound by a red sash out of which the hilt of a Persian dagger was visible.

Kokoro looked almost just as surprised when she entered carrying a tray in front of her with tea and a hangover cure for her captain.

"Uh sir the tea you requested" she paused awkwardly looking at Byakuya and then at her captain as she set the tray down on the desk.

"Ah Kokoro-chan." Kyoraku smiled widely "come in come in. Join us won't you?" beckoned warmly to the desk.

"Ah yes sir" Kokoro felt herself relax a bit; at least she wasn't in trouble.

"Byakuya Taicho" he gestured towards Byakuya who was sitting in his chair like the refined gentleman he was "and I were just discussing your application for fukutaichou"

"Oh ... you were?" Kokoro felt herself go slightly red with embarrassment. She had heard a lot about the aristocratic nobleman from her clan's house and had once or twice seen him and his sister on their customary walks. But she had never believed that he would consider making her his lieutenant. Although she thought herself to be capable of a higher position she had only put out her application because her clan had wanted her to.

"Yes" Byakuya finally spoke up willing to make his intentions clear. "The decision is not finite; however I would like to see you demonstrate some of your skills? If that is no problem" he added seeing the child look at him in a slight daze.

Kokoro's head seemed to be spinning a little bit fast for her liking and her throat seemed to have constricted. All she managed to do was nod.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Walking on Thin Ice**

The sky was cloudless, the sun nice and hot with a cool breeze wafting through the window of a room in the 6th division Barracks in which a girl with cat ears and tail was getting ready to head down to her new office.

The past few days seemed to have gone by in a haze. One minute she was the eighth seat of the eighth division the next, the lieutenant of one of Soul Society's most famous, aristocratic, most handsome bachelor captain. Not that she really cared about the handsome bit.

Kokoro sighed as she looked at her reflection in her mirror as she combed her hair, remembering when just a few days ago she was asked by Byakuya Kuchiki himself whether she would spar against him after defeating a whole bunch of other guys who were in higher seats than she was. She had definitely come off worse in that fight but her superior had seemed pleased with her abilities.

"Well, you're here now. Might as well do your best and hope for the best." She told herself bracingly tying on her lieutenant's band on her right arm before leaving her room.

One would have normally gotten lost on their first day in a new division, but Kokoro managed to find her way around quite easily in most areas of Soul Society. However Kokoro wasn't like _normal _Shinigami. She was half tiger, and as a result had much more heightened senses than most normal people.

She had managed to reach the captain's office within five minutes and once outside she heard voices. One was her new captains and four she didn't recognise. Two of them defiantly belonged to grown up men but the third sounded like a mature woman who was complaining loudly to another voice which sounded like a young boy.

She knocked once. The voices broke off suddenly.

"Come in" came Byakuya's voice through the door.

Kokoro gulped. It was now or never.

"Excuse me" she said politely as she entered the room. It was large like her old captain's room except that bookshelves lined the walls, much to her delight. Despite her rough exterior, she had always loved reading. The furniture was also rather expensive looking.

_Well what else can you expect from such a high standing noble?_

She thought to herself. Finally she caught sight of the other individual's in the room and hastily bowed. "Gomen nasai... I didn't realise you had company..."

Right next to the desk stood Ukitake, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto and Renji who was wearing his new captain's haori they all looked surprised when they saw the youth in front of them straighten up and stand uncomfortably where she was.

"This is my new lieutenant Shirō Kokoro" said Byakuya. He was standing behind his desk, his perfect porcelain mask of indifference slightly unsettled as a light smirk played on his lips. In truth he found Kokoro's uncertainty highly amusing.

"Um nice to meet you" Kokoro bowed respectfully again but before she could straighten herself up her face collided with a mass of cleavage as Matsumoto squealed in delight.

"Kawaii! Oh Kuchiki Taicho we heard that you'd found a replacement for Abarai-kun but we didn't think it would be such a cute nekomimi!" she squeezed Kokoro in delight, half crushing her lungs. Kokoro thought she heard a bone crack in her side.

"Matsumoto stop trying to crush her or she won't live to see her first day on the job" Hitsugaya reprimanded his headstrong [or rather boobstrong] lieutenant. Apparently the others heard one of her ribs break too.

"Oh sorry" Matsumoto let Kokoro go. She spluttered slightly as she tried to remember how to breathe again, stumbling sideways as she did so.

"You ok kid?" Renji said grinning at his new replacement. His hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her back up onto her feet easily.

"Yeah, thanks" Kokoro nodded rubbing her sides. She was sure they would bruise.

"It's Ok. Matsumoto can be quite stupid sometimes." Somewhere behind him Matsumoto squawked in indignation "In fact the first time that happened to me I was out for an hour or so, so don't worry about it" he poked her in the forehead. "Anyways." He turned to his old captain "thank you for everything Kuchiki Taicho. I'll see you guys around" he waved and turned to leave.

"Good bye Renji" Byakuya had sat himself down at his desk and was shuffling papers.

"Good luck Abarai-kun" Ukitake waved as the door closed. "Well now that's over." He turned to Kokoro and smiled brightly "so you're the Kokoro-chan that Kyoraku mentioned. Congratulations for your success"

"Thank you" Kokoro felt herself go slightly pink again but smiled. Jushiro Ukitake may have been a man of great power but he was very friendly at heart. She felt her embarrassment lift slightly. But then it returned when he suddenly pulled out a large bag of...

"Fish Biscuits!" he said happily pushing the bags into her hands "Kyoraku said you would like them"

And Kokoro did like them it was just that "um I'm not trying to sound rude...but why?" she felt suddenly afraid that she'd sound offensive as one usually mustn't ask about gifts. But Ukitake didn't seem to mind at all. In fact he laughed.

"Because you're the third Shirō-chan in the top ranks. I was the first," he pointed to himself "Hitsugaya Taicho is second" he pointed to Hitsugaya who was standing silently arms folded and scowling like usual. Kokoro saw him twitch when Ukitake labelled him as Shirō-chan. "and you, Kokoro-chan, are the third"

"I see" Kokoro nodded and smiled back at Ukitake and Hitsugaya who this time turned and looked her straight in the eye, blushed pink and turned away again.

"Err... are you feeling Ok?" she asked him concernedly.

"I'm fine" he grumbled pouting slightly. Kokoro didn't think he looked fine. On the contrary he looked rather uncomfortable and his face was still pink. She wondered whether he had a fever.

"Don't worry he's just bashful, cause you are so cute" Matsumoto teased her captain, grinning mischievously as she squeezed Kokoro tightly again. Kokoro didn't understand what the older woman was getting at but she had to admit she was beginning to rather enjoy the big sisterly affection she was giving her.

"I am not bashful!" the short captain growled at his lieutenant getting slightly redder.

"Oh of course you are, look at that blush!" she sneakily sniggered.

"Well it is rather warm weather today" Ukitake said, feeling slightly sorry Hitsugaya's predicament "I myself am a little red from the heat. I think I should get back to my office"

"Of course if you are feeling unwell you should rest" Byakuya said from his desk, looking forward to getting some work done finally.

"We should get going too" Hitsugaya said before turning to Byakuya, who was just patiently waiting behind his desk, and nodding in acknowledgement for leave. "Come on Matsumoto" he walked to the door.

"Hold on a minute Taicho. I have to give Kokoro chan her women's Association membership details!" Matsumoto called out but he'd already left "Geeze he is so impatient" She muttered before shoving a few pieces of paper into her hands.

"Just read them when you have time today. The first meeting is after work ends today. Everyone's so excited to meet you" The big busted woman quickly crushed Kokoro again and rushed out of the door "GOOD LUCK KOKORO-CHAN!" she yelled from a few corridors away.

"...thanks" Kokoro stared after Matsumoto.

_Scratch. Scratch._

Kokoro turned her head to the desk behind where Byakuya was already writing on a piece of paper.

It was time to work.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the tenth division office a certain white haired midget captain had just entered his office still red in the face from his morning encounter.<p>

"Of all the-why in the world did I have to" Hitsugaya muttered under his breath cursing himself for his dismal display of emotion. Just his luck to have to meet a girl who was...

"darn it why did she have to be so pretty" he groaned slumping into the chair behind his desk putting his head in his hands as he tried to dispel the images of Kokoro popping before his eyes. Her soft golden hair, her inquisitive eyes and her timid voice. It didn't even matter that she was part cat; in fact it just made her look cuter.

"Taicho!" he heard Matsumoto call out from the end of the corridor.

_I'm never going to hear the end of it am I?_

He thought to himself as Matsumoto came into the room grinning away like the Cheshire cat.

"Why did you just dash off like that?" she asked him.

"Because we have to start work!" he snapped gluing his eyes to the paper in front of him.

"AND you were too shy to be in the same room as her." Matsumoto slid into the room slyly

"Shut up" Hitsugaya gripped his pen even tighter. Matsumoto's grin widened, she really knew how to press his buttons.

"Oh come on Taicho! It's natural for someone of your age to begin having crushes on cute girls."

"My age" he growled. Why did everyone have to comment on that particular topic!

"Speaking of which do you have a thing for girls who wear shorts. I mean first Ichigo's sister Karin and now Kokoro-chan. Or maybe" her eyes glinted wickedly "do you like to look at their nice slim legs"

"MATSUMOTO!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Black Out**

A month had passed and Soul Society was in uproar ... once again. But none of that mattered to Kokoro at the moment.

She was late. She hadn't expected beating that hollow to take so long and now it was a quarter to one in the morning.

She silently opened the sliding door to reveal the office wherein she resided for most of the month. Neat but enormous stacks of paper work were scattered everywhere with small blank paths making it look like a miniature paper city. Her Taicho was behind probably the biggest stacks of all which obscured him from complete view of the door.

Quietly she tried to slink her way amongst the papers.

"You're pile of paperwork is on the table" Kokoro almost jumped out of her skin when his voice came out suddenly "once you are finished, would you please deliver some papers to the tenth division"

Kokoro nodded diligently like Cinderella would to her step mother. A few minutes later she was sitting at the table scribbling her signature here and there and then discarding the paper into a pile of finished articles.

Byakuya looked around his paper skyscraper in front of him in the direction of the mini lounge. He didn't want to pressure his new lieutenant during troubled times like these. But duties were duties.

He caught sight of Kokoro as she sat on the floor on her knees at the low table, like a child doing her homework. He smiled lightly as her tail swished this way and that and her ears twitched as it heard noises which his couldn't. He couldn't help watching the way she did that. It looked so adorable like a kitten.

A clack of papers snapped the stressing captain from his reverie and soon Kokoro was handing in her finished paperwork to him. He took the papers from her secretly smiling to himself. She was a very diligent and fast worker and he really liked that quality in his recruits. He handed her another pile of articles which she took. He looked up into her face.

She looked tired, much like everyone did nowadays.

The reason there was so much to be done was that two weeks ago the first, second, third, fourth and fifth divisions had seen strange attacks during the night. Many people in each division were now filling up the fourth divisions medical facilities and all they could get from any of them was that some strange monster was seen prowling around in the darkness. Whether it was a Hollow or not they couldn't be sure, but still the main questions were how was it getting in? And why was it coming?

Byakuya looked at the papers without seeing what was written on them. It troubled him as he had been suspecting that whatever this creature was would be coming for the 6th division next. But this time they would be ready. Using the division members as bait they would arrange people from the onmitsukido, the 11th and 13th divisions to stand guard at different points around the barracks and attack the creature if they saw it.

She didn't pay much attention to her captain but scanned the pages she was given like a drunken man would look at a restaurant menu. Her hair was scruffy and there were dark circles under her eyes from the recent midnight oil being burned by both she and her captain.

Then... a warm sensation on the top of her head. Byakuya had reached out and was settling the golden bangs with one large hand, neatening them back to their normal state. The first time he had done that to her was the beginning of this week when she had fallen asleep in the middle of an all nighter. Initially she was quite surprised by the action but now didn't mind it at all.

"After all this get some rest for tomorrow" he said quietly scratching her behind the ear in an affectionate manner.

"But what about all these" she jerked her head towards the paper city around them.

"We will do them tomorrow. For now just hand in those documents and go to bed" he said the last few words with a firm finality.

Kokoro nodded sighing before turning to leave. She wondered whether he was sometimes acting like a parent to her. Not that she could really tell. She'd never had a real father in her life, or a mother for that matter and her grandfather were too frail to look after her in that sense.

Hitsugaya's office was dimly lit when Kokoro entered it. Hitsugaya was sitting at his desk which like her captains was also cluttered with piles on piles of paperwork. The windows that looked to the outside were dark with the night. Matsumoto had long since left to go to bed.

Upon her entrance Hitsugaya gave a start, like he always did whenever she entered.

"Oh hey! Ah what are you doing here Kokoro-san!" he blurted out stupidly. _'Argh! What is wrong with me' _he thought miserably to himself.

"Got you an early Christmas present" Kokoro sighed tiredly placing the papers on an empty space on the desk.

Hitsugaya quietly groaned "oh my god I'm going to shoot myself" he put his head in his hands.

"Yeah I know, a real bitch isn't it?" Kokoro leaned against the desk feeling so exhausted she thought she might just drop dead herself.

"Tough week?" she asked him conversationally.

"Yeah." He exasperatedly began filling in his signature on the first page. "Haven't slept a wink all week. You?"

"Same." Kokoro yawned stretching out her arms.

"You should get some sleep." Hitsugaya stated taking in her harried appearance his gaze resting on her hair. He wondered if he could touch it, obviously under the pretext of settling it for her.

"You should too. Good night" Kokoro yawned again, trying to keep her eyes open as she made her way towards the door only to feel Hitsugaya's reiastu come closer.

She looked up and saw him standing right in front of her, his back facing her and his eyes glued to the door.

"I'll come with you."

"Pardon?"

"It's not safe or wise to be walking around alone at night, especially with that thing still prowling around."

"I can look after myself you know."

"Better to be safe than sorry. Besides...I want to...I mean...I would like to" The last bit came out rather pathetically and he turned his face forward. That didn't hide the blush that had crept up to his ears.

Kokoro sighed barely picking up the embarrassment. He was right she was too tired to be dealing with this sort of stupidity so late at night. So she followed him, strolling down the corridors in his wake, looking at the back of his captain's haori.

She'd always admired how those captains would walk with that cool sense of purpose in those seemingly glorious garments, Hitsugaya was no different. She hoped that one day she would too wear one just like that.

Hitsugaya's head turned slightly and one of his turquoise eyes spotted her.

Kokoro blanched and quickly looked away as Hitsugaya smirked.

Then suddenly all of the lights went out.

The slither of a sword exiting its scabbard seemed to echo in the silence.

Kokoro felt herself hit into Hitsugaya's back. She squeaked in surprise as her nose collided with his shoulder painfully.

"Keep quiet and stay behind me" Came Hitsugaya's firm voice from in front her.

A ball of light appeared in front of them illuminating Hitsugaya's stern expression. It saturated the colour of his skin with its teal colour making his eyes glint strangely as he held his sword out. She felt his arm push her so that she was obscured from view of the glow.

His eyes once again travelled back and bored into hers with such an intensity it made her flush.

Then they heard it. They turned their faces to the end of the corridor.

* * *

><p>Byakuya was walking over to a bald man who was sitting on a rock in the division's gardens surrounded by a multitude of shinigami from the 11th division.<p>

"Anything sighted Ikkaku-san?" he asked startling most of the people there. The bald man however looked down at his sandals.

"No not anything just yet" Ikkaku said bitterly. He'd been waiting for an opportunity to go up against this thing, whatever it was and chop it to bits, but so far it hadn't appeared.

"It probably doesn't want to show it's ugly mug here" said another voice as Yumichika came from around a corner followed by more men.

"No lights went out and everyone is still in their rooms, everything is still beautiful...like me" the narcissist flicked his hair, laughing gaily.

Many people just ignored him.

"This is getting real boring" Ikkaku groaned but then looked up hopefully. Byakuya looked up too. There were weird flux of reiastu coming from the south.

_'The tenth division?'_ Byakuya thought fear flooding him '_but why is there a commotion in the tenth division unless...wait that's where Kokoro is!'_

"Finally some action" Ikkaku smiled excitedly.

* * *

><p>A soft thumping was coming from a few corridors away. Slowly it seemed to get closer.<p>

"It's that thing" she heard Hitsugaya mutter.

"I don't think it's a _thing_." Kokoro replied making him look back at her questioningly "it sounds more like a _whom._ Those aren't the feet of a beast and I'm getting the smell of cloth from it and ... is that tobacco?" Kokoro's sensitive nose wrinkled at the pungent smell.

"You can smell cloth?" Hitsugaya had to admit that her abilities were indeed rather impressive.

Kokoro put her fingers to her lips and he fell silent. Watching in the direction she was facing until a light appeared at the end and a shadow was silhouetted against the wall.

Hitsugaya's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword.

A tall figure in a white lab coat strolled into the corridor holding a ball of light similar to the one that was hovering in front of the two youths. He was wearing thick circular glasses which obscured his eyes and had neat crew cut red hair and pasty white skin. A thick cigar smoked in his mouth.

"You!" Kokoro cried out suddenly, her eyes widening as she looked upon the man who was still strolling down the corridor as though he did this kind of thing every day.

"You know him?" Hitsugaya looked in surprise at Kokoro.

"Know me?" the man chuckled "oh you're little friend knows me very well don't you?"

"If by know you, you actually means despising any old bone in your f***ing body then yes" Kokoro's hissed her eyes narrowing.

"Now now that's not a nice way to greet an old acquaintance is it, Experiment 203?" the man spoke in a surprisingly deep voice as he grinned widely revealing pearly white sharp teeth.

"Don't call me that!" Kokoro snarled finally drawing out her dagger and glaring knives at the stranger.

_Experiment? What is going on here? _Hitsugaya thought wildly, looking between the two people.

"Oh come now there's no need for violence 203." He stopped a few feet in front them eyeing their zanpakuto with amusement. "I'm sure we can work things out. I've been looking everywhere for you, you know. It hasn't been easy. You see we need you back-"

"THERE IS NO WAY I AM GOING BACK!" Kokoro yelled taking a step back from Hitsugaya's back her eyes widening to the point where her pupils were tiny dots of fear.

"I'm very sorry but I'm afraid you have no choice! Now come with me and behave yourself." A long claw like hand reached out only to be blocked.

"I'm sorry buy I cannot permit you to do that! Hadō #33. Sōkatsui"

_BOOM!_

A great ball of kido blasted in front of the man. Kokoro shielded her eyes from the intense blue light that engulfed the corridor.

"Come on!" she heard Hitsugaya call out as his arm swung around her waist.

He dragged her away back into his office where she felt cold air hit her face as they crashed through the large windows that led outside. She felt the jerk as he jumped up onto the roof and began running along it. Her eyes stung as she opened them for there was air whipping into her face.

"What are you doing?" she cried out at him fully aware of how she was being carried. One of his hands gripped his zanpakuto and the other was wrapped around her waist holding her tight to his chest.

"If you didn't just notice. Somebody was trying to kidnap you!" he looked straight ahead trying to navigate the swiftest way to the 6th Division where he was sure she would be safe. A crash behind them. Whoever it was had also come up onto the roof.

"Hold on." Was the only warning he gave her.

Kokoro tucked her dagger away and put her hands around Hitsugaya's neck just many metallic sharp things pierced through the air towards them.

He dodged them with ease. Kokoro peered over his shoulder to see the stranger behind them running with what looked like acupuncture needles in his hands, yet they must have been more sinister.

She pushed her palm forward and chanted "_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hadō 31 Shakkahō!"_

A blast of red light burst from her palm towards the man whose eyes widened in surprise as it came towards him. He dodged but then lost his balance as it disturbed his footing.

Taking advantage of their pursuer's clumsiness, Hitsugaya made a long fast shunpo step and the two of them arrived at a small garden.

Exhausted Hitsugaya let Kokoro down onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She looked like she could pass out as she slumped against a wall sweating.

The moon shifted from beneath a cloud and illuminated the area. He saw Kokoro pull out something from the base of her neck, crimson liquid flowing freely from the wound. A short metal needle glimmered in the moonlight on the grass next to her.

He rushed towards her as she tried to stem the flow of blood with her hand. It simply oozed over her fingers.

"He got me" she gasped as Hitsugaya tried moving her hand to see the wound more clearly. "As I shot at him, he got me."

There was a gaping hole in her neck, about the width of his little finger. It throbbed painfully and Kokoro could feel her strength draining as fast as the blood was. Her hands grip slackened.

_The ass must have put something on those needles._

A snapping sound caught her attention and looking down she saw a large rip mark the bottom of a white haori. Hitsugaya raised his hand and placed the bundle of cloth against her wound gently.

"Hitsugaya tai-" she began but he cut across her firmly.

"Don't speak, or you will bleed more" his voice was calm and collected, but his emotions weren't so. He may not have been an expert on such substances but even he could tell from the way she was losing strength that she had been drugged. She winced in pain.

"It's going to be ok." He said softly, pressing the material slightly harder onto her neck. He could feel the reiastu of many people coming closer. Help was coming. She just needed to hold on for a little bit longer.

Kokoro looked up at him and thought she saw worry in his usually stoic face.

Her eyes shifted out of focus. Seeing but unseeing.

"Stay awake!" He growled in frustration pushing his hand through her bangs and shaking her head lightly. He had been right; her hair had indeed been softer than it looked. But such petty thoughts didn't matter now.

Her eyelids began to droop.

"Come on stay with me" he shook her head more vigorously. "Come on! Wake up"

Her head lolled to the side like a rag doll.

"Kokoro!" he desperately called out to her unconscious form wiping her bangs away from her face. He smoothed his thumb over her closed eyelid. "Kokoro!" he called again.

_Thud_

Something heavy collided with the back of his head and then... nothing...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Ransom**

"Come on stay with me."

_Who's there?_

"Come on! Wake up"

_Hitsugaya? ... _

"Kokoro!"

_I can't hear you clearly..._

"Kokoro!"

_Where are you? Hitsugaya!_

* * *

><p>"203! 203!" a deep gentle voice repeated itself.<p>

Kokoro didn't open her eyes immediately but allowed her other sense to explore her predicament.

She was lying on something soft like a bed, on her back. Her limbs were bound to it by cold metal bands and her hair was tied in two short plaits at the sides of her head. A strong smell of chemicals hit her nose, and for a second she wondered whether she was in the 12th Division laboratories. A twitch of her ears told her that there were no other people wherever she was except for her and the owner of the voice.

"203." The voice said again. She opened her eyes. Nearly everything in the room was white. The bed she was on was like one of those you'd find in a hospital. She was propped up on several pillows and seemed to be wearing white cotton pyjamas.

Beside her a man sat, playing with the fur on her cat ears. He had a very pleasant face with average complexion, short black hair and stylish rimless glasses that hid behind dark grey eyes. He wore a white lab coat under which he was wearing a black suit with grey trimmings.

"Long time no see 203" he smiled kindly at her "I have to say I've rather missed you"

"Long time no see Kenji"

* * *

><p>9 captains stood and one sat on a chair in the first division captains meeting room.<p>

"You all know why we are here then?" the old voice of Yamamoto Taicho rumbled throughout the room. All the captains present nodded.

"Kurostushi Taicho I believe you have more information regarding the reasons behind this kidnap"

"I do yes" said Mayuri in his slimy voice "The situation at the beginning of the month has changed rapidly. If we take into account the information that Soi-Fon Taicho reported it would seem that the recent attacks were directed to finding and kidnapping one of our own. I am of course referring to Shirō Kokoro's and Hitsugaya Toushiro's abduction."

He paused wondering whether he would get a reaction. The other captains just looked gravely at him not saying a word.

_Boring people _

The scientist thought annoyed.

"Just after they were kidnapped I was asked to see into the reasons behind the kidnap. Of course I looked into both of the abductees files. Hitsugaya's didn't contain much that we didn't already know but when I came across Shirō-san's file it was encrypted, so I hacked through it further and I found ... this." Pulled out a file and opened it up revealing a large A4 page where a girl, looking no older than 7 looked out blankly.

Her head was shaven but they could still discern the pale gold eyebrows against her skin; her eyes seemed less catlike and were a light clear blue.

"Before...test?" Yamamoto's wrinkled face scrunched up slightly as he squinted at a small scrawl of writing on the bottom of the page, giving him the appearance of an aged monkey.

"I think it will make more sense if I show you the next image" Mayuri put that image away and took out another to replace it. The change was startling.

Kokoro's head was still shaven but her overall appearance seemed sharper, less human. Her cat ears stuck out oddly from where normal ears should have been and the shadow of a beast seemed to linger behind her now amber eyes.

"What is the meaning behind this?" Unohana looked at the pictures with a concerned expression on her usually kind face.

"These" Mayuri said with a slight dramatic edge to his voice "are the pictures of Kokoro when she was the experimental specimen of Kenji Kakeru's research"

* * *

><p>Kenji looked at Kokoro's cold glare with undisguised amusement.<p>

"You never were the trusting type. Even as a child" he mused still smiling.

Kokoro raised her eyebrows before replying sarcastically "gee I wonder why? Is it because you experimented on me or kidnapped me? It surely cannot be those two options can it?"

Kenji just smiled back. It reminded Kokoro of the smile Aizen had given her when she first joined the Gotei 13, before his betrayal. It had seemed pleasant enough to most but Kokoro knew better. That expression was the smile of a liar. A really good liar.

A metallic click and Kokoro felt the bands on her legs lift. It was just as well.

_BANG! Click. FLASH!_

"Owww!"

The force of Kokoro's kick had crushed Kenji's nose. At the same time a camera had flashed, capturing the moment.

After regaining composure Kenji grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and held it to his bleeding nose.

"Weren't expecting that were you?" Kokoro smirked with satisfaction watching the man as he removed a Polaroid from the camera.

"Can I be very honest with you" Kenji said thickly still holding the cloth to his nose.

"Yes" Kokoro folded her arms and sat up a little straighter. "There's always a first for everything".

"No. I wasn't expecting it." Kenji ignored the jibe flapping the photo before putting it in an envelope and putting it in the palm of his hand. A red beam of light appeared and it vanished.

* * *

><p>All of the people present just stared at the before and after pictures in silence.<p>

Kyoraku whistled lowly "who knew we had such a case on our hands eh?"

"Kakeru!" the name seemed to go around the room like a ripple on water.

"Isn't that the -" Renji looked around at his superiors with a curious expression.

"The one who conducted those illegal experiments on those children. Yes" Unohana's usually kind face looked rather disgusted.

"So you are saying that Kokoro was abducted by the same people that experimented on her before?" Byakuya looked to the scientist.

"Hmm most likely yes. I mean she was noted in the file as being the most successful specimen of his experiments" Mayuri smiled to himself.

_I wonder if they will allow me to dissect her. I would just love to get a sample. What I'll find if they allow-_

But it was impossible for the scientist to continue his dissection happy thoughts when a red beam of energy shot down into the middle of the room. All of the people in the room jerked back in surprise as the red beam disappeared and something on the ground smoked.

They all stared at the spot. On the ground was white envelope. Once again everyone stayed silent until Soi-Fon, who hadn't spoken or done anything throughout the entire meeting went forth and picked it up off the ground.

"It's addressed to you" she stated hollowly handing the envelope to Byakuya who took it curiously. He opened it and read it silently to himself. The other captains watched him, observing the way his grey eyes moved across the page. He then pulled out what looked like a Polaroid but none of them could see what was on it, so they were all very surprised when the usually stern young man snorted with repressed laughter before putting it all back into the envelope.

"...well?" Yamamoto prompted.

"It's as Kurostushi says. Kenji Kakeru was behind the Kidnapping." Byakuya forced his face back into a stony mask. Nobody yelled out in surprise. "He says he will give both Kokoro and Hitsugaya back if we will consider paying a ransom in five days at a warehouse in the human world."

"Money?" Yamamoto questioned.

"No." Byakuya stated. "Anbu"

"Anbu?" Renji looked around at his senior colleagues.

"Short form for Ankoku busshitsu or Dark matter" Mayuri explained in a matter of fact tone. "A rare substance to find naturally and particularly difficult to synthesise in a laboratory. I myself only have collected a small sample in my lab but it's a very dangerous substance to experiment with so I avoid testing it out as much as possible. I wonder what they would want to use it for, unless..."

He trailed off, a dreamy expression adorning his slimy features.

"Unless they want to use it as a weapon" Yamamoto finished for him gravely.

"Yes that is most probable" Mayuri smiled.

"Kuchiki Taicho may I have a look at that letter" The old man held out his hand. Byakuya handed the envelope over to Yamamoto who began to read it aloud.

"_Dear Captain of the Sixth Division,_

_My name is Kenji Kakeru a retired member of the Gotei 13 and the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. I am currently running a small experiment along with my team. Due to our lack of facilities and resources we have had to make do with past specimens. Unfortunately this includes borrowing you're newly appointed Lieutenant Experiment 203 or as you probably call her Shirō Kokoro. We have also borrowed your 10th squad Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro. _

_We know both their presence will be greatly missed and so we are prepared to cut a deal with you and your superiors. We will return Experiment 203 if and only if you are prepared to hand over 400 grams of Anbu. If you do not respond within 10 days time we will take it that you will have rejected our offer. Please note that any rescue attempt will be met with hostility and the deal shall be cut off. If you agree to make this transaction, go into the human world and meet at the old city warehouses of Kagamino City, Warehouse 14._

_I look forward to do business with you._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Kenji Kakeru_.

_P.S. if you want proof of your lieutenant's condition I have provided a photograph_"

Yamamoto shook out the envelope and the Polaroid landed in his lap. He looked at it and then began nodding in what seemed to be amusement. "Nice kick" he said smirking.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A matter of taste

"Oww! Hey watch your manners!"

"Sorry 203. But procedures are procedures"

"That doesn't mean you have to be so rough and quit calling me 203! My name's Kokoro!"

Something went over Kokoro's eyes so that everything was pitch black. Kenji was now in front of her tugging her along forwards where there must have been a door. She tried resisting but her hands had been bound by two bands on her wrists closely connected by a thick tough cord. On her neck another cord of the same material was tied in a knot like a leash which her captor pulled none too gently.

A creak of hinges and then her feet hit a much colder smoother surface. Kokoro nearly jumped in surprise when its icy touch hit her bare feet. Somewhere in front she could just imagine Kenji Kakeru smirking as his black shoes clacked noisily.

It took a little while for Kokoro to fully adjust to her now blind state. Carefully she stepped behind, feeling her way with her feet and responding to the tugs he made whenever a corner came. There must have been some windows as rain splattered against them noisily making it sound like a long drum roll. It seemed to go on for ages, that was, until her sensitive ears began to pick up a soft _pit pat_ of two pairs of feet. One sounded mechanical almost like Kenji's shoes except it was slightly squeaky. The other feet seemed to be barefooted as it created a gentler sound. Then the deep voice of her kidnapper from before sounded.

"Well well, the little street cat is quite submissive now is she? More than I can say for our little captain. He was thrashing about like a fish caught in a net when we had to tie him up"

"Yes she is a bit more civilised than last time she was with us Clause" Said Kenji. Kokoro gritted her teeth. She could hear the smile in his voice and it disgusted her but she stayed quiet and listened intently.

"Should we dispose of these brats in the cell then? It's already 4am and I am dying for some sleep" Clause yawned loudly.

"Yes lets. Besides the Master will want a full report on the current situation" and leaving it at that the two adults went in front muttering quietly to each other and dragging their captives after them like masters would their pet dogs on a walk. After about ten minutes or so Kokoro felt a clammy hand, slightly larger than hers, close gently around her fingers.

"Kokoro" The voice of a young boy murmured quietly from her right. It was Hitsugaya. His voice sounded hoarse and thick as if he'd been yelling for a long time. Kokoro squeezed his fingers back to let him know that she'd heard him.

"Are you-" She heard him sigh quietly in relief and then pinched his palm

"Later when they leave us alone" she hissed silently tugging her hand out of his. Hitsugaya felt a little disappointed. Her hand had been warm and a comfort in this alien environment. But then he told himself that she was probably right.

They felt the adults stop in front and halted themselves. The clicking of some buttons and the cords were removed from their necks then suddenly Kokoro and Hitsugaya were flung in unceremoniously through a strange sort of substance onto what seemed to be a hard matted floor.

"Ow" Kokoro heard Hitsugaya groan from some few feet away. A hiss and a crack and Kokoro felt the cord between the bands on her wrist contract allowing her free use of her arms. She tore off her blindfold only to be blinded by the bright light of the room they'd landed in.

It was like a one room apartment with a small toilet and bathroom added in through two doors. A cupboard lined the wall to her right, and on the other side a small table which small table and a few cushions to sit on were propped on top of it along with a large first aid kit. A small window in a far corner of the wall, was barred but one could still see through to the sky outside. Rain and storm clouds were gathering. Kokoro examined the room again and her eyes were instantly drawn to the floor, covered in tatami mats on which a red liquid seemed to be dribbling on it.

Kokoro's eyes followed the trail of red till they fell upon Hitsugaya's now sitting form.

At first Kokoro thought he was wearing red pyjamas but then on closer look saw that his entire body was covered in bleeding scratches which were dying the fabric red.

"Oh my -" Kokoro gasped and rushed past to the table and grabbed the first aid kit before placing herself in front of Hitsugaya who was rubbing the blood away from his forehead before it could reach his eyes.

"It's alright really" He muttered but Kokoro who'd also grabbed a towel from the cupboard and a bucket of warm water from the bathroom was already wiping his face. "I'm fine" his words came out muffled against the material.

"Fine? You look like you got sliced to bits by a blender" Kokoro wrung out the towel before dabbing again at his face.

"I don't care." She heard his usually stony voice go rather gentle. "At least you're alright"

Kokoro felt her face redden dramatically not knowing how to reply.

"I-I" She stammered going even redder as his hand closed around hers stopping its progress down his face. Hitsugaya looked at her intently.

"I'm glad you're alright too" Kokoro looked into his face and what she saw startled her. He was smiling, not like his usual smirk, but gently. It was so out of character that Kokoro turned the shade of a ripe beetroot.

_Wow! He's actually kind of cute when he smiles!_

She thought wondering how Matsumoto would react if she could see the expression on her Taicho's face at this moment.

Hitsugaya smiled in spite of himself as he gazed at Kokoro. She looked so cute with her face red and her cat ears flattened in embarrassment. Then he realised what he was doing.

_Oh shit umm go back to normal!_

"So what happened to you?" He asked Kokoro whose gaze had quickly snapped to the medicine case and was rummaging in it.

"Oh nothing much. A greenish paste, a greenish paste" She muttered checking the small bottles one by one. "Kenji just wanted to say hi and get me to this cell."

"You didn't hear anything else?" Hitsugaya asked nervously. He thought back to when he was getting tortured and prayed that she had not heard his agonised screams.

"No besides that morons annoying twisted voice" Kokoro's voice once again became harsh. She finally found the bottle she was looking for, the one with a slime green paste. A smell of faint petroleum issued when she opened the lid.

Hitsugaya gagged slightly as Kokoro dipped her finger into it and pulled it out making her look like she'd taken out an extraordinary amount of booger from her nose.

She shuddered "It may look like slime but trust me it will heal those cuts. Just let it crust on your skin and then go wash it o~ff" Kokoro's voice rose two octaves as Hitsugaya unbuttoned his shirt and took it off revealing an unexpectedly well defined bare chest and killer abs all of which were cut in some way or the other.

He looked up at Kokoro who was staring at him wide eyed and her jaw dropping. He smirked mischievously "this can't be your first time seeing a guy's body right?"

"Shut Up!" Kokoro cried out, mortified. It wasn't like she hadn't seen a guy's bare torso before. Most male shinigami usually sparred in such a manner a lot of the time but she'd never really _looked _at them in that way before... that was until now.

Recovering quickly she walked on her knees around to his back where there were even more cuts. Lightly she trailed the finger with the slime across one of the largest. She heard Hitsugaya take a sharp breath.

Now it was his turn to feel flustered. "Hey what are you doing?" he yelped slightly as the cut stung under the gel.

"Only patching _you_ up." Kokoro replied before cheekily adding "don't worry I won't leave any girl germs behind...little boy!"

Hitsugaya seethed as she applied more slime onto his cuts.

* * *

><p>It was the evening and the normal rain that Kokoro had heard on her way to the cell had turned into a violent storm. She sat huddled next to the table where she'd been drawing her favourite chibi cat figures, as the wind whipped and howled noisily with each loud thunder clap.<p>

_Lucky him._

She thought looking down on Hitsugaya who was sleeping with his back facing her in the large futon on the floor completely oblivious to anything at all.

_He can sleep through anything._

Kokoro huffed with envy. Thunder drummed again. She held her legs to her chest and tucked in her head. She had always hated storms. They were so loud and so big, or was she just so quiet and small? Either way it always made her remember things ... very ... horrible ... things.

The darkness that ambushed the senses and, like a parasite, crawls under the skin sucking all hope and happiness from the heart before entering the blood and spreading its effects through every vessel till only a hollowed shell is left. It pressed upon her, rotting bony cold claws extended to take back the child, its prey, that it had been depraved of for so many years.

_BOOM!_

Kokoro dove into the futon, her cold feet hitting Hitsugaya's warm toes.

"What the!" he cried out rolling over as his blankets were yanked away leaving him to feel the chill.

"What on earth are you - ?" but he stopped quickly when he saw her face. She'd taken most of the blanket and was holding it close to her face. She was shaking her ears were completely flat at the side of her face and the beginnings of tears were beginning to form in the corners of her shut eyes.

"Hey" he said attempting to get the blanket out of her hand, but she wouldn't let go. She just sobbed. He sighed and patted his hand on her shoulder in what he thought was a reassuring way.

"There there. Don't cry" he said lamely. He was never good at comforting crying people. THAT was Matsumoto's area of expertise.

"What?" Kokoro moaned hoarsely after a couple of seconds. She looked up at Hitsugaya, tears still trickling down her face although she'd stopped sobbing.

"Err... it's ... ok?" Hitsugaya said awkwardly confused by her reaction. Kokoro snorted with laughter.

"It's ok?" She snorted into the blanket.

"Well what do you expect me to say?" Hitsugaya stated defensively but Kokoro just kept on laughing into the blankets.

"Hey..." he began but he stopped.

Kokoro, who was now getting over her fit of giggles, eyed Hitsugaya's expression. "What is it?"

"You're smiling" He said unable to keep the inquisitiveness out of his voice. He'd never really noticed till now but that was the first time he'd ever seen her smile. It was different to all the other smiles she'd given when in soul society. It was more relaxed and natural. He gazed keenly at her, greedy to see that smile once more.

But that statement merely wiped the smile of Kokoro's face. "Sorry" She mumbled into the blankets.

"What for?" Hitsugaya looked worried that he'd done something wrong.

"I shouldn't be smiling." Kokoro said simply. Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows.

"Why not?" He propped himself onto his elbow and tugged the blanket so now it was covering the both of them equally.

"It's just that in this sort of place it's never good to..." she broke off as another roll of thunder rumbled."Hitsugaya, I know these people and I've been under their torture for most of my early life. Kenji and Clause, they have and always will never understand the importance of others emotional wellbeing. If they see any form of any emotion they will exploit it to make their subjects go through with the experiments"

"But they aren't with us at the moment." Hitsugaya stated.

"I know but still..." Kokoro gripped at her shoulder almost unconsciously. "Revealing emotions can lead to heavy consequences." She knew that she'd said too much. The pitying look in his eyes told her so.

"Please don't pity me" She said now sounding irritated.

"I don't pity you" He stated honestly.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're concerned or something?"

At this Hitsugaya grimaced. "I'm not sad. Just thinking"

"Thinking what?"

Hitsugaya looked into her face and said.

"Give or take a few years, you could become a captain."

"What?" Kokoro was not expecting that reply at all.

"I've seen you in the sixth squad training grounds," he said thinking back to the times during the past month when Byakuya Kuchiki had caught him spying on Kokoro's training sessions. Then he was brought back to reality when moonlight shone through that small window. It fell upon her pale skin making it glow softly. "You're very pretty ... I mean pretty good" but it was too late, and Kokoro blushed before hiding her face in the pillow.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean that! I mean I do think you're pretty I really do! It's just that I didn't mean to say it" he cried out in a panic attempting to repair the damages done.

"That's the first time someone's called me pretty" Kokoro mumbled from the pillow. Hitsugaya stopped panicking.

"What are you talking about? Matsumoto thinks you're adorable." His thoughts travelled back to his lieutenant and her affection for the girl opposite him.

"_Taicho! I saw Kokoro-chan today she's so cute that every time I see her I want to squeeze her tight and adopt her as my own daughter!"_

Yes that would be Matsumoto's feelings to a tee. Kokoro blushed and allowed her eyes to peep out from the pillow.

"I know. I've been called adorable, kitten like and cute... but never pretty. Not even from my own family"

"Your family?" Hitsugaya looked at her before it dawned on him. "Oh yeah, you're of nobility" And Kokoro thought he sounded rather disappointed. "But why?"

"Why? Because I'm a stray cat they picked up off the street!" then noting the look of incredulity on Hitsugaya's face she added bitterly "I may be officially an heiress, but to them I'm still be scum."

"But you're not."

"Tell them that besides, it's the same with all aristocratic families, including my captain's, and Rukia's much better at being an aristocrat then I ever will be"

Hitsugaya began to feel his left temple hurt with irritation. "I know it sounds kind of horrible to say it but I'm glad of what's happened to you. I Mean!" He started because he thought he'd offended her.

"I mean. If you weren't to have the past you did, you might have ended up as a little spoiled pampered brat. But you're not you're..." he stopped

She was fast asleep and had been for the past five minutes.

_Great now she must think I'm a boring blabbering fool._

But she was smiling. That same smile he'd seen earlier.

_Oh well it's worth it._

Hitsugaya smiled to himself. Laying down beside her and sighed his eyes as a thought crossed his mind of him and Kokoro standing together and her family, a group of faceless figures, glowering behind them only to be replaced by a similar image Ichigo and Rukia standing with each other with a pissed off Byakuya in the background releasing Zenbonzakura. Hitsugaya closed his eyes and frowned to himself.

_That fool Ichigo must be rubbing off on me more than I thought. I'm beginning to have an expensive taste in girls._


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm home!"

It was raining heavily when Ichigo Kurosaki entered his home, soaking wet and aggravated. Grumbling he took off his shoes and tipped it over.

_SPLASH!_

Ichigo cursed as the hems of his pants got splashed yet again.

It hadn't been a good day. He'd forgotten his umbrella at home and arrived late at school earning him a lunchtime detention and extra math's homework.

_I wish I could still use Shunpo._

"Ah Oni-chan welcome home!" came an excited voice from the direction of the kitchen. Seconds later Yuzu's blond head poked around the corner of the hall. "Oni-chan you're soaked!"

"Yeah yeah I know." Ichigo tried managing a smile but all that came out was a grimace. Yuzu beamed and rushed forward grabbing Ichigo's arm and looking all excited. "Come on Dad wants to tell us something!"

"What why!" nevertheless Ichigo allowed himself to be dragged into the living room where Karin was sitting cross legged on one side of the sofa, studiously avoiding her father's excited gimmicks.

"You're late ICHIGOOO~!" more out of instinct than fear, Ichigo ducked as a flash of white and black hair lunged in attack form towards him.

"What are you doing? Attacking your son when he's only just come home! You crazy old man!" Ichigo yelled at the crumpled heap that was his father.

"Even without your powers you still can dodge me. I've taught you well!"

"Taught me well my but! It's common sense to react when someone lunges at you from nowhere! Geezer." Ichigo fell backwards onto the sofa feeling exhausted. If school wasn't going to kill him his family would most defiantly do the trick.

"So what did you want to talk about?" he asked as his father crawled back to his chair slumping into it.

"Dad was wondering if we should take a holiday when summer break starts?" Karin sighed.

"A holiday?" Ichigo looked at his dad who leaned forward head resting on his hands.

"Yep!" Isshin smiled "It's been a while since we all went on holiday and actually had a break. Especially since…" he stopped at the severe look on Ichigo's face and immediately changed tack. "Since Christmas!"

"So where are we going?" Although annoyed, Ichigo was glad of the change in tone. He didn't want to be reminded of the events that took place during the Winter War. Although it was now the beginning of June the images of battles and blood and Aizen were still fresh in Ichigo's memories.

"We are going to..." Isshin and Yuzu performed a dramatic drum roll with their feet and hands. "ENOSHIMA CITY!" they yelled excitedly.

"Eh Enoshima city?" Ichigo looked at his dad in surprise. They rarely went so far south for a holiday. The last time Ichigo went there was when he was 5 years old and his mom was 7 months pregnant with his twin sisters.

"Yeah! Exciting right!" Isshin grinned before scrambling over to his wife's poster on the wall. "We're going back to Enoshima Honey! The place we first met remember?"

Ichigo just ignored his dad and was just about to ask Yuzu what was for dinner when the telephone rang. Karin who was closest to the receiver picked it up.

"Kurosaki residence. Ah Urahara-san… uh huh…Ichigo?" Karin yelled out to her brother "Ichigo it's Urahara on the line! He wants to speak to you."

Ichigo scrambled over to Karin and took it from her quickly before his dad could even comment. Snatching the phone and hurrying to the staircase he quickly made sure he was alone before resuming the conversation."Hey Urahara what's up?"

"I'm great Ichigo," came the shady shop keeper who used to be twelfth division captain of the gotei 13's voice. "Listen I know it is a bit late but can you come over to the shop right now. Something's come up and I don't want to talk over it on the phone for too long."

"Is it to do with the soul society?" Ichigo whispered as he heard his little sister peer round the corner and ask "Ichi-nii come and eat, dinner's ready!"

"Perhaps but like I said it is not something I can discuss over the telephone. So can you please come now! And when you come bring Kon with you in a bag."

"Why?"

"Just coz" Said Urahara in an annoyingly secretive manner.

"Alright alright I'll be there in a bit" Ichigo groaned. First he forgot his umbrella, then he got in detention, then he got soaked on the way back home in the rain and now Soul Society was probably facing some issue that he probably couldn't help them with even if he tried because he had no powers anymore. Today was going to be the death of him he just knew it.

_The things I do to make sure that the world remains normal_

Ichigo thought bitterly as he knocked on the shop front door he had come to know so well.

"Oh hello Ichigo!" came Urahara's voice as he opened the shop front. "Come in come in"

It was exactly as Ichigo remembered it. The same sliding doors, the same floor the same annoying red haired kid Jinta was talking loudly to someone in another room. Urahara led him to an empty room in which was a low table.

"Please make yourself at home. You might have to wait though for a little while whilst the others get into their gigai's or else you won't be able to talk to them."

_Gigai…oh the shinigami._

Ichigo felt his chest tighten at the mention of this. He knew it was stupid, but he rather missed being able to see and talk to the souls and shinigami. Sighing he sat down at the table and waited. Kon had appeared out of his bag and was beginning to rant on and on.

"You fool Ichigo how you can treat a poor stuffed animal like me like this!"

Trying to keep his mind off what could be possibly wrong this time, Ichigo set his thoughts onto the trip to Enoshima city. It would be the first time in nearly 10 years since he went there. He could remember going over to the famous Benzaiten's Shrine where he'd met a little girl who had become the best friend he'd ever known. She was the head of the Shrine's granddaughter and could like him see spirits. She'd moved to Karakura for five years then left right after his mom had died to live in a town near Enoshima.

Struck by a sudden thought Ichigo flipped out his cell phone and began dialing quickly. She may have moved away but they'd always kept in touch via email or phone. He put his ear next to the receiver and listened as the other end beeped.

"Ne ne Ichigo aren't you listening you jerk"

"Shut up Kon!" Ichigo hit Kon with this free fist and the animated mod soul collapsed unconscious.

"Hello?" Came the voice of a young woman from the cell phone.

"Hey Chihiro its Ichigo" Ichigo smiled it had been so long since he'd heard his friends voice.

"Ah Ichigo its been such a long time!" Chihiro's voice piped up happily. "How are you keeping?"

"Good. Good. My dad's crazy as always, Yuzu and Karin are alright and schools a major pain in the ass."

_And last year I became a Shinigami, slew some hollows, rescued a couple of friends and helped destroy the maniac who wanted to destroy Soul society and the rest of the world. The usual._

Oh how he wished he could tell he all of that but he knew better. Chihiro may have been able to see ghosts too but even she would think him crazy if he said anything like that. He listened to her chuckling on the other end.

"So how are you?" He asked just as Kon's head rose from the floor.

"School's a bore. I'm already two chapters ahead of everyone else in math's and my science teacher is on his honeymoon so we've been having this weirdo substitute who has an annoying habit of speaking half Japanese half Russian. There are a few spirits on my end. But otherwise I'm great" But she didn't sound fine. She sounded rather tired and sad as if something was burdening her, but Ichigo wouldn't pry. Chihiro would tell him if something was wrong or not.

"Ichigo who're you talking to" Kon sat up and walked across the table towards Ichigo. There was a very pregnant pause.

_Crap_

"Are you with someone?" Chihiro asked curiously.

"No no it's no one just the TV. Listen" Ichigo said pressing his advantage just as Kon gave him a dirty glare "I was just calling to say that my family and I are going to Enoshima in three weeks and I was wondering if on a weekend you wanna catch up?"

This seemed to cheer Chihiro's mood up completely and soon she was prattling away about the stuff they should do when they meet up with child like enthusiasm. Ichigo's smile turned into a giddy grin as she reminded him of the soccer games they used to play together and their old elementary school. They reminisced together ten or so minutes, laughing and chatting until Ichigo noticed Urahara in the doorway slyly looking at him.

Ichigo's smiling face turned into its characteristic scowl. He quickly made up an excuse that dinner was ready and that he'd call her closer to the date.

"All right then I'll talk to you later. It's great to hear from you again. Bye Ichigo keep safe!" Chihiro said happily.

"You too. Later Chi" Ichigo heard the other end hang up and then hung up on his own line.

Urahara was still in the doorway, hiding his grin behind his fan. "Sorry I had to interrupt your conversation with your girlfriend Ichigo"

"She's not my-" Ichigo began flushing red.

"You're kidding that idiot has a girlfriend?" came a voice as spiky red hair came into view behind the shopkeeper. Ichigo's eyes widened. He knew that red hair.

"Renji!" he cried out as Renji stepped out from behind Urahara. He looked the same as ever except he'd swapped the Shinigami uniform for a casual purple T-shirt and loose jeans. He grinned at Ichigo's stunned face.

"Yo Ichigo! Seems like you've been busy" he walked over to the orange haired youth and looked down on him in a superior manner.

"What's up with you?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the positively glowing aura that was surrounding his friend.

"What?" Renji's pompous attitude dropped as fast as his smile "Hasn't anyone told you?"

"Told me what?" Ichigo replied honestly.

"I told you, Baka! He hasn't come into contact with any spirit or Shinigami for the past few months how on earth could he know" came another familiar voice from behind Urahara. Ichigo felt his stomach drop. Short raven hair and a short disposition, her petite body adorned with a light lilac purple summer dress matching her deep violet eyes Kuchiki Rukia stood in the doorway.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: A Women's Intuition**_

_Summary: After just a month into her new position as 6th squad lieutenant Shirō Kokoro and Captain Hitsugaya have been abducted by evil researcher Kenji and are in a cell at his research centre. The Gotei 13 is setting up a rescue operation to save the two youths. Because the ransom will take place in the human world a select few shinigami ask old substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo to help them locate their destination. During the conversation Rukia makes a strange premonition that could possibly be true?_

* * *

><p>"Rukia…" Ichigo's throat became very dry. A very strange sensation of warmth and happiness seemed to grow in the pit of his stomach.<p>

"Hey Ichigo" she smiled at him.

"NEE SAN!" Kon flung himself happily at Rukia's tiny bosom, only to be stopped by a large pale hand.

"I would prefer it if you didn't do that" said Byakuya Kuchiki his grip tightening at the small plushy. Unlike Renji, Byakuya was dressed in a black suit and looking grave.

"Byakuya!"

"You still refuse to use an honorific when addressing me" the nobleman muttered annoyed.

"But I'll let it slide this time. We have a very pressing matter"

"oh Kuchiki Taicho don't be so stiff!" Came Kyoraku followed by Ukitake who smiled.

"Good to see you again Ichigo- kun"

"Oh hey Ukitake"

They all joined Ichigo around the table.

"So what is it?" Ichigo looked at Renji who was fidgeting. Obviously the gigai's were still tight and uncomfortable as ever.

"My lieutenant …" Byakuya started but he was interrupted as another figure walked into the room.

The memory that Ichigo had of Matsumoto Rangiku was of a big boobed woman with a usually happy/drunken disposition. Well as far as Ichigo could tell the boobs were certainly the same, but now she looked slightly guilty and miserable.

"Hey Ichigo" she smiled half heartedly.

"Hey yourself are you alright? Where's Toushiro? Doesn't he usually come with you for stuff like this?"

"Captain Hitsugaya and my lieutenant have been taken hostage"

"What do you mean you mean lieutenant - isn't Renji-"

"I got promoted to captain of the fifth squad" said Renji the smugness returning to his demeanor.

"Oh." Ichigo was at a loss for words.

"What do you mean oh?" Renji began riling up but quelled under the terrifying glare that Byakuya gave him. Renji coughed and reached to the side pulling out two files. Ichigo examined the two of them. Both had photographs, Ichigo instantly recognized Hitsugaya and the other of a girl which he assumed must have been Renji's replacement. He was surprised that the nobleman that sat opposite him would pick such a young child to be his lieutenant especially because she looked a little…

"A little on the wild side ne Byakuya?"

Kyoraku chuckled; nearly everyone had said that about his old 8th seat when seeing her first time.

"Her name is Shirō Kokoro" Byakuya's eyebrows twitched slightly in annoyance.

"We believe that she was the focus of the abduction." Ukitake took over quickly sensing tension from Byakuya.

"How come?" Ichigo asked though he probably knew that the answer was not going to be pleasant.

"Twenty five years ago" Ukitake began patiently "there was a situation in Soul society and the Human World where children with reiatsu were going missing."

"By missing you mean abducting or dying out?" Ichigo interrupted.

"We didn't know at the time, it was only later that we discovered that they were abducted by Kakeru Kenji, a researcher in the Shinigami Research and Development centre."

"What was he doing with the kids?"

"Ichigo quit interrupting!" Rukia scolded but Ukitake did not look angry.

Instead he looked into the contents of his teacup as if thinking. "From the information we have gathered it seems as if he was using them as experiments to develop a weapon, but for what we do not know."

"So what does you're lieutenant have to do with this …Konji or whatever he's called. Was she an experiment of his or something?"

"Yes. She was."

He sighed in exasperation. "How is it that all the nut jobs you guys produce all come from the twelfth division?"

"I honestly do not know." Renji's face turned into half a grimace.

"So why do you need my help?" Ichigo looked to Rukia but it was Matsumoto who answered.

"We needed the assistance of someone in the human world who can lead us to Warehouse 14 in Kagamino City. Plus we all wanted catch up with you" she smiled a shadow of her usual carefree nature.

Ichigo sat and thought for a moment. Heaven knows that he felt great seeing everyone again; his life had felt incredibly dull since losing his powers and having Rukia back would certainly be …

"Alright" he nodded to his friends before adding in amusement "but first tell me how the hell did you know that Toushiro was kidnapped? And for that matter how did he get kidnapped?"

Ichigo had been expecting the others faces to become stern at this statement. But to his surprise they all were smirking, even Byakuya who responded first to Ichigo's confused expression.

"Well we knew Hitsugaya-Taicho was kidnapped because he was with Kokoro when she was kidnapped. According to one of the tenth squad seated officers, who was awake at that time, he saw Hitsugaya offer to escort Kokoro to the sixth squad"

Ichigo still looked slightly confused "So what? If that is all then why are you guys smirking?"

"Because…" Rukia couldn't hold back a devious grin. "Hitsugaya likes Kokoro. Really _likes _her."

Renji snorted with suppressed laughter.

"What gives you that impression?" Ichigo felt even more puzzled by this statement.

"Well…" Matsumoto also fought back a grin "he always blushes whenever she's in the same room as him"

"When she's not looking he gazes at her with this really dreamy look" Rukia added imitating big goo goo eyes.

"He gets incredibly self conscious" Said Matsumoto.

"Tongue tied too" Renji added.

"He looks dazed after she leaves and won't touch his food" Kyoraku chortled.

"He tries acting all proud and mighty in front of her" Ukitake smiled "but only a little bit" he added in an attempt to stand up for his colleague.

Matsumoto shook her head "A little bit doesn't cut it. He's been nuts about her since he first saw her in Kuchiki-Taicho's office a month ago"

"You're winding me up." Ichigo began laughing as he tried to picture Hitsugaya in such a love sick state. It was a rather sloppy image.

"Well I guess it was bound to happen at some point" Ukitake looked up at the ceiling "no boy, not even Hitsugaya, could avoid leading a non-romantic life altogether"

"Romantic?" Renji rolled his eyes "His hormones must have finally caught up with him. Who knows next month he may have sudden giant growth spurts"

"That is if we see him next month" Matsumoto said sadly. The atmosphere changed back into its previous somber mood.

"Hitsugaya -Taicho will be fine" Rukia said bracingly to Matsumoto. "He's been in a pickle before loads of times. And if he's with Kokoro he's probably will be even better. He probably has already tried to make some moves on her"

All the occupants of the room stared at Rukia in dumbfound amazement.

"What on earth makes you say that?" Ichigo's jaw was half dropping at such a statement.

"Women's Intuition" Rukia sipped her tea with dignity.

* * *

><p>When Hitsugaya woke up the first thing he felt was amazing warmth. He felt so peaceful, the pain in his body gone and warm blankets over him. He seemed to be laying on something soft and comfortable. He brought his arms around the object pulling it closer into him and sighed contentedly as he felt the gentle thumping of a beat against his ear.<p>

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It felt so calming. He felt as if he could lie here forever. But where was here?

Hitsugaya's eyes opened slowly.

Just beneath his nose the white pajamas had slipped to the side revealing a smooth gently sloping pale shoulder. As he turned his head to look at the face, his nose glided up softness of it catching a whiff of something captivating. He heard a soft sleepy giggle as his tongue accidently tickled the skin of its neck, tasting a sweetness he'd never imagined possible. However he reluctantly resisted and lifted his head, his eyes resting on Kokoro's sleeping face.

It seemed that he'd rolled right on top of her during their sleep. His face although lifted was inches away from hers.

He didn't know what was making him do it, all he knew was that one moment he was simply inhaling her breath and then …

It was a sensation that he had never dreamed of ever experiencing before. His lips brushed against Kokoro's with tender pressure and tasting that same tantalizing sweetness as before. He closed his eyes in bliss before pressing down slightly harder. He felt Kokoro stir beneath him and his embrace tightened. One of her hands touched his face, her fingers dancing over the skin on his brow and then slipping into his hairline to entwine themselves in his hair. Hitsugaya gently deepened the kiss; her hands clasped tighter into his hair.

Hitsugaya's eyes flew open in shock at Kokoro's face. She seemed to be still asleep. Wrenching his lips away from hers he jumped backwards and scrambled away from the bed horrified by his own actions.

Kokoro's cat ears twitched and she grimaced.

_What on earth was I doing?_

He thought mortified as Kokoro rolled over wrapping herself tighter in the blanket. His face went red as the memory of a few seconds ago came back to him. The sensation of the kiss lingered on his lips as he tried to rid his head of the feel of her soft hands in his hair and the sweetness of her breath but to no avail. He felt torn apart as the bliss of realizing he'd finally had his first kiss mingled with disgust for with himself. He'd sunk so low, taking advantage of someone in their sleep. And yet it felt so right.

Though he knew nothing of the meeting that was taking place several miles away, Hitsugaya Toushiro had just made Rukia's prediction come true.

* * *

><p>Ha ha maybe Renji was right. Hitsugaya's hormones may indeed be catching up with him. Anyway I actually wanted to experiment with the views of the other characters on this relationship.<p>

It was also a great excuse to put Hitsugaya in a very awkward dillemma that will haunt him for a long time.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: Scars that never heal**_

_Summary: Ichigo and Shinigami Squad are planning on paying the ransom at Urahara's. Meanwhile inside their cell, Kokoro wakes up after having a strange dream about a kissing Phantasm *cough* (in actual fact Hitsugaya) *cough* though she doesn't know what it means, but where is Hitsugaya?_

* * *

><p>Kokoro opened her eyes and immediately they were assaulted by harsh bright light. She blinked several times. The resonance of running water reached her ears and she turned curiously. From the sound if it, Hitsugaya was taking a shower. With the hum drum of running water she let her mind wander to the most peculiar dream she'd ever experienced.<p>

Empty Kokoro's dreams had been earlier at night. Nothing really happened she just seemed to exist in a dark world. She didn't like it. It was cold there and pitch black. But something changed in the middle of the night.

Something soft pressed against her lips. She couldn't tell what it was but it felt wonderful. She reached up her hand in the dark and felt smooth cool skin. She lifted her hand and the soft roots of hair surrounded her hand. It filled her with warmth that spread all the way down to her fingertips and toes. She grasped at it. It was then that the mysterious phantasm of her dreams had pulled away plunging her into the darkness once more.

She sighed as she stretched out her back in a very feline way before thinking she might get changed into a clean set of pajamas. Hitsugaya was in the shower and was unlikely to come out for another ten minutes. She'd just finished buttoning up her shirt and had taken off her pants to put the clean pair on when she heard a loud thump as something slid to the ground.

"Hitsugaya?" Kokoro called walking to the mostly closed bathroom door. She didn't have any pants on but she still had her underwear so she didn't worry so much. He didn't reply but groaned as if in pain.

"Hey are you alright in there?" a groan answered her.

She pushed the door slightly open and peered around. The shower was still running but no one appeared to be in there until lying on the floor on his side Kokoro saw Hitsugaya wet and … naked. Blushing a furious red Kokoro flung a towel over his body as Hitsugaya rolled over onto his back eyes still closed.

"What's wrong?" Kokoro kneeling down beside him, barely noticing that she was getting soaked by the shower head.

Hitsugaya didn't answer but exhaled heavily as he tried to sit up. His feet slipped on the wet floor hindering his attempts. Trying not to move the towel out of place Kokoro tried to help him lean against the wall but slipped on her knees and landed on top of Hitsugaya who groaned in pain again. They both sat up Hitsugaya looking at Kokoro with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry" Kokoro mumbled before asking again "what's wrong"

"Nothing" Hitsugaya said quickly "Just slipped". But it wasn't nothing, and he had never slipped. The scar around his left arm that Aizen had given him months ago was aching again. Unohana had said that it could never completely heal, but it didn't stop him from feeling irritated at the pain it caused him.

Kokoro wasn't convinced with his story and looked towards the scar tissue on his left shoulder. Timidly she trailed her fingers lightly across the wound her eyes suddenly downcast.

Utterly perplexed Hitsugaya looked at her closely. She was soaked to the bone, her white top clinging to her body, slightly see through in places. Her golden hair was plastered to the sides of her face and neck glistening like rays of sunlight. She'd closed her eyes, but they were twitching beneath her eyelids as if dreaming. Hitsugaya could see droplets hanging in glistening beads on her eyelashes.

_Perfect._

"Kokoro" Hitsugaya said softly so as not to startle her.

"These wounds … are filled with so much sadness and grief." She muttered opening her eyes and looking directly into Hitsugaya's without a trace of embarrassment or fright.

Hitsugaya found himself unable to breath. Her words, her eyes, it was as if she could see into him. No not just see, could understand him. He felt her hand slowly press close to his heart and he wondered for a moment if hers was thumping just as fast.

Then a tune, a soft eerily beautiful tune filled the bathroom, clear even above the sound of the shower. It took Hitsugaya a little while to realize that it was Kokoro. She'd closed her eyes again and was singing, though without any words, with a voice of such breathtaking loveliness.

He closed his eyes and sighed, her touch and voice sending him into blissful rapture as the pain in his side lessened. He opened his eyes again and saw that the spot beneath her hand was glowing softly. Turned his attention back to Kokoro, gazing as she fell silent, the glow subsided. They sat together in silence, letting the warm shower rush over them.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Hitsugaya whispered, though he didn't know why he was doing so. Kokoro's downturned face looked up and gave a sorrowful smile.

"My mother"

"Your …"

"Yes my real Mother" Kokoro said in the same sad tone. Hitsugaya sat there stunned.

"but how…"

"Just because I don't talk about it doesn't mean I don't remember her." Kokoro shook her head and stood up, walking out of the shower and drying herself off with a dry towel.

Hitsugaya also stood up dropping the towel that was hiding his nakedness and quickly picked it up wrapping it around his waist. He shut off the shower and followed Kokoro who was standing with her back to him.

"I don't remember much about her or how I was separated from her" Kokoro said still not facing him. "Most of my memories seem to revolve around her singing me that song but…sometimes…" She sounded like she was trying to hold back tears. She shook her head dispelling her tears. She choked up feeling ashamed at her lack of self control. She'd regretted removing the pain from Hitsugaya's shoulder, but he'd looked so tortured and agonized.

Putting a forced smile "nah I'm just being stupid." a tear rolled slowly down her cheek in spite of herself.

Two arms wrapped themselves around her small frame from behind holding her between a pair of muscled broad shoulders. She looked to her right as Hitsugaya put his head on her shoulder.

"Um I can't dry myself unless you let me go Hitsugaya - Tai-"

"Toushiro" He cut across her firmly. He wanted to establish this one point clearly.

"What?"

"Call me Toushiro" He said.

"Err…ok… Toushiro can you let me go so I can dry myself" Kokoro asked again halfway between a sob and an awkward mutter, not really sure about where this conversation was going.

"No." Kokoro looked at him with astonishment. "Not until I repay you"

"Repay me for what?" Kokoro's breath hitched as tears still fell.

"You helped to ease my pain," he whispered in her ear "So now let me help to remove yours" he pulled her closer.

* * *

><p>Clause was in charge of surveillance once again. It wasn't one of his more favorable duties; in fact he much preferred dissections to observations. But it was his shift so he kept his eyes glued to the twenty screens in front of him as he gorged over several packets of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles.<p>

_Who knew that weakling humans could invent a snack so tasty? _

He thought as he chucked a chip up and caught it in his mouth. A thump came from the speakers on the side of his desk. He looked towards the screens and spotted the commotion. The boy had collapsed from pain in the shower. Clause's eyes narrowed as on another screen the girl walked towards the bathroom. He honestly did not understand why Kenji was so insistent on keeping these two in the same cell.

_Find something useful Kenji said. Oh well it does provide amusing entertainment. _

Clause snickered as he saw the girl fling a towel over the naked boy and their futile attempts to stand up, ending up in their sitting in a very compromising position as the girl sat astride the boys lap, the towel and her underwear the only cloth between them. It was even more amusing that they did not realize the adult way in which they seemed to be together.

_Children are so innocent it's nauseating._

Clause rolled his eyes as he chomped on another Pringle. Then a song issued from the speakers making him jump. He checked his pocket. His communicator was docile. Placing it on the table he checked the machines underneath, all was fine. Then he looked towards the screens. The girl was still sitting with the boy, her mouth was open and her hand over his scar was glowing_. _The boy's eyes were closed; Clause could see the pain fading in his expression.

_How interesting._

Clause leaned in closer a Pringle held in mid air in front of an open mouth as he watched the girl walk away. He closed his jaw only to chew on air. Aggravated he turned his attention to stuffing the Pringle into his mouth. He was nearly finished chewing when he saw the boy hold the girl close and whisper something in her large cat ear. His jaw dropped allowing several crumbs to fall from it. He understood completely now. He grabbed his communicator from the table and dialed quickly.

"Come on hurry up!" Clause groaned as he heard the ringing on the other end. Finally after two extra seconds Kenji picked up.

"Well?" Kenji asked expectantly.

"You wanted Little Captain to talk?"

"Yes that is one of my intentions" Clause could hear his colleague's smile of excitement.

"Use the girl" Clause smiled wickedly. Oh yes that would make the boy talk alright. He took another Pringle and chomped on it. It tasted even more delicious.

* * *

><p>Alright so this chapter was very fluffy indeed. Its as fluffy as a Fluffy Australian woolly sheep. I know Clause eats Pringles but I was running out of ideas of Snack foods for evil villains and I was eating a packet at the time so there.<p>

Thanx to all you who read this fic and feel free to post up suggestions about extra stuff to correct in terms of grammer or ideas for the plot cause I am suffering a little with writers block due to the massive amounts of study for my final High School exams EVER!


	9. Chapter 9

**Story Thus**** Far:** Shiro Kokoro (the OC) has been promoted to 6th squad lieutenant when Renji is promoted to 5th Squad Captain. One night on her way back to the barracks Kokoro and Hitsugaya Toushiro (who was escorting her) get kidnapped by a group of rougue researchers who conducted experiments on Kokoro in her youth. Whilst the two kids have been *ahem* _getting to know each other_ the Gotei 13 organise a rescue mission which includes employing the help of ex-substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo. In this chapter Kokoro and Hitsugaya are thrown into a deadly situation and come face to face with Kenji Kakeru, the inhumane head researcher/kidnapper who has a very interesting question for the tenth squad's child captain.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Stepping in Time with the Devil<strong>

_"You helped to ease my pain," he whispered in her ear "So now let me help to remove yours" he pulled her closer._

Kokoro and Hitsugaya spent much of the rest of that day in a very awkward existence. Every time they spoke it was of petty unimportant subjects like time or the weather. If they made eye contact they would both turn their attentions on separate activities in silence. Sometimes Kokoro felt, while she was sure she was imagining it, she could feel Hitsugaya's intense gaze on her.

Finally it was late afternoon and Kokoro had become sick of the tension between the two of them. She pulled out the medical kit, clearing her throat loudly.

"Ahem, Hitsugaya how are your injuries?"

Hitsugaya didn't respond. He was lying splayed on his back, across the room, on the floor with his shirt part open. Kokoro crawled to his side her face dark with suspicion.

"Knew it!" she muttered when she saw his face. He was fast asleep.

"How you can sleep at any time is beyond me" she sighed as she eyed the strange way his limbs were spread across the floor like a ragdoll.

"Hey come on! I need to check your wounds" she put her hands on his shoulders and shook him lightly. She had no success at waking him up, the only thing she had managed to do was open up his shirt even more.

Despite her muddled feelings of curiosity and guilty pleasure, Kokoro marveled at Hitsugaya's physic with admiration. From a distance he'd always looked like a child, but at a closer proximity he had the body of a man; strong, lean and solid. It was almost a reflection of his personality; which Kokoro was questioning considerably since the shower incident. Her fingers grazed against his collarbone and she felt herself go pink again in embarrassment till something on his left shoulder caught her eye. Timidly she pushed aside the cotton material.

If she hadn't seen so many battles in her life as a shinigami she would have probably fainted at the sight. A jagged rough line of fleshy scar tissue stretched down his torso to his waist and over his shoulder. She wondered how she'd not noticed it during that moment in the shower; it was so prominent a mark.

Swallowing slightly she traced her hand over the scar, the rough tissue skimming against her palm in a strangely comfortable way. Despite the heat of the day his skin was quite cold, but rather refreshing as if you were to put your hands under a cool spring of water to drink.

Unbeknownst to Kokoro, her curious actions were not going unnoticed. Hitsugaya had never been asleep and had closed his eyes when he heard her shuffling over. He felt rather embarrassed since he'd embraced her in the bathroom. He just had to thank the gods that nobody else had seen his actions otherwise he'd be ruined.

When he'd felt Kokoro's hand slide over his skin however, he forgot his mortification and instead embraced a sensation of bliss. Her slender hand was warm against his cold skin. He opened his eyes by a millimeter watching Kokoro through his lashes. She was frowning in concentration as her eyes travelled along the hideous scar on his left side. Hitsugaya shut his eyes completely just as Kokoro's fingers traced the most sensitive flesh on his left pectoral. He shuddered.

Kokoro's frown deepened. She jabbed him hard with her finger.

"Oww" Hitsugaya groaned in pain as her finger pressed harder into the damaged tissue.

"Stop faking it and get up!" she said irritably.

"That might be a good idea you know" said a cool voice. Kokoro and Hitsugaya sprang up to their feet in alarm just as many hands grabbed at their arms and forced them forward.

Clause was standing a few feet away, puffing tobacco smoke through his nostrils like a dragon.

"What do you want?" Kokoro snarled at their kidnapper. Hitsugaya was about to reprimand her for her rash behavior when he caught sight of Kokoro's mouth. He gulped quietly to himself as he saw her canines, pointed, pearly white fangs that looked like they could easily tear through any mans flesh.

"Kenji would like to see you both in the primary laboratory." As Clause spoke another researcher walked in through the wall wheeling in front of them a box. It looked similar to a carry case that many people used when carrying animals at an airport as it had a cage door at the front. However it was too large to be carried as it had been made to accommodate to the size of a small adult lion. The researcher opened the door of the cage and waited expectantly.

"Put them in the cage, oh and please don't try to escape kiddies, it will only make things worse for you than for me" Clause said as he swept a hand through his red hair and walked out the room.

Hitsugaya and Kokoro were shoved roughly into the cage, which was banged shut. Kokoro winced as the loud noise echoed. A couple of beeps and the cage had been electronically shut.

The researchers that had detained them were all conversing excitedly, as if the two children were souvenirs brought back from a lovely holiday in Hawaii. Kokoro sighed and sank down one side of the box her face in her hands.

Hitsugaya watched her sympathetically.

"I'm so, so sorry Toushiro for getting you into this mess" she whimpered miserably.

"This isn't your fault" he replied and he meant it. It must have felt horrible for her to be back under the eye of her first jailer. He knelt down and put both his hands on her now shaking shoulders.

"We will get out of this"

Kokoro looked up her amber eyes watery and surprised. Hitsugaya gave her a hard blazing look and helped her get back onto her feet.

"I promise"

"A promise, hmm how sweet"

Standing right in front of their cage door was a man that Hitsugaya had only seen once before. He had short black hair and a pair of characteristic stylish rimless glasses. He was another traitor of Soul Society, the rogue researcher…

"Kenji Kakeru." Hitsugaya rumbled as there was a metallic click and the cage door swung open

"It seems my reputation in Soul Society is still tarnished but we are not here to talk about that"

"Then why are we here?" Kokoro took a step closer to Hitsugaya, her hand twitching towards his fingers.

She didn't understand why she was so scared, perhaps it was the smile on Kenji's face or the way his eyes dilated in excitement like a child contemplating swatting a fly and looking forward to seeing it squashed. Her fingers grazed Hitsugaya's which sensing her apprehension closed around hers slightly.

"203" Kenji suddenly barked "I need you to come here please"

But Kokoro didn't move. She now clutched Hitsugaya's hand tightly. Sighing Kenji clicked something from beneath his sleeve. A chord shot out of Kokoro's neck restraint, towards the grinning researcher who deftly grabbed them and tugged. Kokoro lurched forward, her grip on her companion was broken and she fell flat onto her face. She glared from the floor at the older male and female researchers who were all laughing immoderately.

"It seems you have forgotten" Kenji chuckled "subjects are not allowed to disobey me in my laboratory" He tugged as Kokoro got up onto her feet and shuffled forwards him, all the while muttering such horrific profanities that no one would dare repeat out loud.

"Now follow me 203 like a good girl"

Hitsugaya watched anxiously as Kokoro was led further and further away from him to the opposite end of the room where two strange translucent sack like pods, hung from the ceiling a few feet below the ground. They seemed to have a greenish tinge and black veins crisscrossing here and there like the skeletons of large leaves.

"What are those" Kokoro asked actually forgetting her anger and fear for a moment and indulging her natural curiosity.

"What do you think they are?" Kenji smiled mysteriously.

"Knowing you, something foul and inhumane" Kokoro spat narrowing her eyes, which then widened in surprise as Kenji grabbed her from behind.

"Watch out!" Hitsugaya attempted to shunpo forward but many researchers jumped onto him and pinned him on his stomach on the floor. Kenji in the meantime carried Kokoro towards the pod.

"Let me go!" she screamed and squirmed in his arms.

"Stop squirming you little brat!" he hissed then he let out a howl of pain as Kokoro bit down with her monstrous teeth on his arm that was secure around her shoulders.

Blood was oozing from where her mouth dug into his flesh. He cursed as he brought his other hand up and tugged Kokoro's head by the scalp up craning her neck up so that she looked into his face. His eyes were now blood red with rage and his face grotesque as he seethed.

He shoved her into the pod which sealed instantly as Hitsugaya called out and Kokoro screamed.

Then there was silence as everyone in the room as they shared the aftermath of the moments excitement.

Hitsugaya stared from where he was detained at the floor, at the pod which now held Kokoro. She was still moving around, he could see her silhouette scratch at the insides. Her terrified screams were muffled to such an extent that it was barely audible even in the silence.

He had been so absorbed in watching Kokoro that he'd forgotten about Kenji. The man was walking over to Hitsugaya panting heavily, his left arm bleeding profusely and his eyes still red.

The people holding Hitsugaya drew away in fear as Kenji walked up to the boy and grabbed him by the jaw.

"Tell me boy how much do you know about where Sosuke Aizen is imprisoned?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: La lengua Del Diablo***

**_* This translates from Spanish to English as the "tongue of the devil*_**

_"Tell me boy how much do you know about where Sosuke Aizen is imprisoned?"_

Hitsugaya stared at the man. That was not what he was expecting to hear at all.

"Nothing" He spluttered as Kenji dragged him by his jaw higher off the floor.

"I asked you," The man growled impatiently "what do you know about Sosuke Aizen's imprisonment"

"I said I don't know anything and even if I did I would never tell the likes of you" Hitsugaya spat icily.

Kenji's snarl turned into a leer. "Oh really?"

He dropped his prisoner on the floor and swept over to the pods at the end of the room. He clicked something from inside his sleeve and the inside of one of the pods lit up its translucency morphing into transparency.

Inside Hitsugaya could clearly see Kokoro, she was still awake but not thrashing around as she had done before. Her cat ears were nearly flattened against the sides of her head. She looked at him pleadingly, as Hitsugaya read her lips as she tried once again to be heard though the pod which was clearly soundproofed.

_What is happening? _

Hitsugaya watched as Kenji passed and Kokoro's expression became wary. The Researcher was now holding something in his hand with a sharp blade.

"Leave us!" he barked at his subordinates who had all drawn back in fear. Like plague rats on a burning boat they scurried off out the one door. Now He, Hitsugaya and Kokoro were the only beings in the room.

"Perhaps you might answer me if I gave you some…" He hissed as he pointed the long katana at Kokoro who upon seeing the blade pressed herself against the farther side of the membrane."…incentive"

Kenji pressed the blade gently against the outer shell. Hitsugaya sprang to his feet his eyes darting between the katana and Kokoro. The older man's smirk grew as the katana dug into the membrane slightly.

Hitsugaya stopped in his tracks, his face as whiter than his hair.

"What are you -" Hitsugaya stared in shock. The sword in his enemies hand then glinted in a manner that Hitsugaya recognized immediately. He recognized too the star like guard on the light and dark blue hilt.

Kenji smiled even more widely "I'm glad you catch on so fast, yes this is Hyorinmaru."

"Let her go…" Hitsugaya gritted his teeth his hands balling into shaking fists.

"Oh I will" Kenji smiled "You see there are two options. The first being that you will answer my questions truthfully and then you can be safely experimented on" He gestured politely at the empty pod beside Kokoro "We will then release you both back to your Gotei 13 unscathed. Or" his smile widened considerably "if you refuse to co-operate I will kill her, experiment on you only and you can go back home carrying a corpse - killed by your own blade of course" he added quickly.

The malicious enjoyment in Kenji's taunts ran through Hitsugaya just as Aizen's blade had done before. He could finally understand Kokoro's loathing for this man. Such manipulative tactics, so inhumane it would put many terrible totalitarians to shame.

"I will give you five minutes alone to think. Call me when you finish" Kenji unstuck the blade and flash stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

As Hitsugaya pondered he walked over to Kokoro in her pod. She was shaking her head mouthing the words _"Toushiro don't do this" _

But his eyes turned downcast as shame consumed them. "I'm sorry Kokoro"

_You're just gonna have to trust me_.

He put a hand on the outer membrane which felt like cold glass despite the fact it was as malleable as cling-wrap. He looked at Kokoro as she shifted to turn her back on him.

Hitsugaya sighed and walked away standing in front of the adjacent pod. "I've made my decision Kakeru" he declared.

Kenji walked through the door again, looking more composed than he had been five minutes ago.

"Judging by the depressing way that 203 is acting" he looked at Kokoro who glared over her shoulder. "You are willing to answer my questions?"

"Yes" Hitsugaya replied. He was glad to see that his sword was no longer in Kenji's hands.

"Well then answer my first question" Kenji asked prowling in a circle his tone eager and hungry like a famished beast. This astonished Hitsugaya as something in his brain clicked into place.

He paused before asking in an irritable icy manner "What was your first question again?"

As Kenji repeated the question Hitsugaya's genius mind was racing as he tried to put together a plan. If he could get the rotten bastard to believe him, he could possibly save both their lives without having to give anything meaningful at all. He just had to make sure that his emotions wouldn't give away the lies.

_But then again most of the best liars mix in the truth into their lies which makes them more believable._

He thought as he pretended to ponder his prepared answer. When he thought he had pondered long enough he spoke.

"I don't know much about Aizen's imprisonment. Many of the other captains don't know either" he declared. "We have been more worried about the aftermath of his actions"

This of course was a lie. The Captains and himself definitely knew that Aizen was carrying out a lifetime sentence in the deepest darkest and most impenetrable cell of the Maggot's Nest. From the corner of his eye Hitsugaya saw Kokoro's dejected form stir slightly as she looked warily over her shoulder. Had she cottoned on already?

_"_I see" Kenji continued to pace in a circle. "What about Kurosaki Ichigo? How much have you heard of him?"

"I've only met him a couple of times" Hitsugaya lied smoothly "I don't know much about him or his powers" that last little bit had definitely been true. Whilst he had heard a lot of rumors amongst the other captains and lieutenants, he had seen very little of Ichigo's real powers even during the winter war since Aizen had nearly killed him.

"Hmm, I see" Kenji stopped in his tracks. "Well Hitsugaya-san if you may" He was smiling again as he gestured towards the empty pod.

"You have no more questions?" Hitsugaya was very surprised. He'd been thinking of so many more answers, that he'd nearly had a full act prepared.

"No more questions" Kenji nodded.

Hitsugaya stepped into the pod which sealed instantly. He closed his eyes and sighed as he heard the researcher yell at an unseen person.

"Insert the serum"

Instantly a strange yellow gooey liquid began to quickly fill up the sack from a tube in the bottom.

Kokoro looked up again, no longer looking panicked but determined. Hitsugaya nodded and kept his gaze on her as the fluid engulfed his body and his mind drifted off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Nothing but Talk**

"Oh move your butt already!"

In the midst of a particularly bad traffic jam, on the long strip of asphalt between Karakura town and Kagamino City, a white van was honking a little blue car in front of it.

"Come on move" Urahara grumbled from the front driver's seat.

Meanwhile in the ten passenger seats, six shinigami and one Ichigo Kurosaki were cooking in the summer heat.

"Have we moved yet?" A mass of cleavage and strawberry blond hair moaned. Matsumoto had sprawled herself on the window which looked upon long stretches of grass. She was wearing a pair of bright pink hotpants with a white tank top which barely covered her stomach, owing to the fact that her boobs were hogging nearly all the fabric. Nobody answered her complaints for they themselves were glazing over.

"I'm bored" Renji voiced aloud also gazing out on the field. He'd rolled up his jeans to his knees and was sitting topless. His dark tattoos stood out so starkly against his skin that the people who had passed them in the other cars stared aghast.

"Well then why don't you go frolic in that field" Ichigo grumbled as he sipped a cold bottle of water.

He too sat with his pants rolled up and topless in the heat of the van, whereas Byakuya who sat behind him was wearing his beach attire of board shorts and a thin white hoody.

At Ichigo's gruff suggestion Renji glared, Rukia snorted and Byakuya's eyebrows darkened. Ukitake didn't pay any attention as he closed his eyes trying to relax a bit. Despite the fact that they had all been wearing human world clothes the summer heat still pierced into them like a drill.

Then Kyoraku sighed unexpectedly from the front passenger seat. Everyone turned to look at him.

He was sitting low and his feet were up on the dashboard. Like his other companions Kyoraku had swapped his uniform for a pair of board shorts and a flamboyant half buttoned pink Hawaiian shirt, though he kept his straw hat which covered his eyes.

"What's up? Is the traffic moving yet!" Ichigo asked as he slumped backwards on his chair.

"No" said the older man in front of him. Ichigo thought he sounded slightly worried. "Just wondering if Kokoro-chan and Captain Hitsugaya are all right"

"hmm" Ukitake opened his eyes eyeing his close friend with interest "Weren't you there when Kokoro was found"

"Oh yeah, that's right I was" Kyoraku chuckled to himself. He'd nearly forgotten about that.

"So you've known her a long time?" Ichigo raised his eyebrows slightly.

"In a way" the older man lifted his hat slightly.

"Huh, what's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo scowled in confusion.

Kyoraku looked at Ichigo through the rear-view mirror his eyes alight with mischief and amusement.

"I'll tell you what I mean but in return" he leaned back in his seat "you must first tell us about your little girlfriend you were calling at Urahara's"

"She's not my girlfriend" Ichigo scowled as Renji sniggered. "Well she isn't!"

"Then what is she to you?" Matsumoto leaned forward, keen to hear the gossip.

"I first met Chi in the summer holidays, just before my sisters were born." Ichigo huffed looking towards the van ceiling "She used to be my next door neighbour and we went to elementary school together." Ichigo huffed.

"But?" Matsumoto prodded eagerly.

"She moved to a small town in the south, almost six years ago. And day before yesterday my father decided that both my sisters and me and him go to Enoshima"

"And you were planning to catch up with her when you went on vacation" Rukia finished for him. Ichigo nodded before adding "she also could see spirits"

This seemed to startle many of the van occupants but Ichigo didn't want to delve deeper into the topic, so he changed it.

"So what is your story?" he shot irritably at the older man in front.

Kyoraku sighed again "good thing the traffic is bad, because this story is a long one"

* * *

><p><span>Kyoraku's POV:<span>

**Twenty Years Ago …**

It was spring and a certain captain was lying on a picnic rug in the eighth division's gardens. I remember that morning because I was twirling a delicate cherry blossom in my hand, marvelling at its beautiful symmetry and its gorgeous pink colour when a shadow loomed over me.

It was Nanao looking stern

I grinned sheepishly "well well Nanao-chan you look very lovely today".

"Get up" she barked as she hit me with a roll of paper reports. "Someone wants to see you; he's waiting in the office"

"Is it Ukitake or Yama-ji?" I had asked as I dusted the grass and petals off my haori.

"Neither" she said with a small amount of uncertainty "It's Shirō Kazuya"

"Kazuya?" Now this was surprising as I hadn't seen that old man in years

"You mean _the_ Shirō Kazuya, head of the Shirō clan?"

"Yes sir" she nodded

"I'll go right away"

_Why on earth would that old man be here?_

I then flash stepped to my office and opened the door.

A man was standing at the window behind my desk looking out onto the garden in which I had so recently been napping.

Despite his great age, he stood tall and proud with bright hazel eyes that twinkled with youthfulness that time had not been able to rob from him. He sported short wavy white hair and a short boxed beared, both of which I had known to have once been blond in his youth.

His clothing was remarkably simple for a man of nobility. He was clad in a pale blue kimono tied with a dark navy sash both of which were made of cotton. He did however sport one very large but thin pure white medallion with gold inlay shaped like two avian wings each with five stroked feathers. There was no doubt about it, he was Shirō Kazuya.

"Please excuse my tardiness Kazuya-dono" I bowed politely.

"It has been quite a while Shunsui - kun" Kazuya returned with a small smile.

It had been a long time since someone had used 'kun' at the end of my name. I chuckled and offered him a drink and refreshment which he accepted graciously.

Once we had sat down, we chatted about the weather and other such petty topics. However as we chatted I couldn't help but feel that the old man was really squirming to address a certain issue. As the conversation dwindled towards the state of his clan's welfare he hesitated.

"Things … have been rather interesting…in a way… a lot of mysterious happenings…"

His voice was light but the undertones of fearful anxiety caught my interest at once. You see Kazuya has always been the kind of man who is very difficult to worry or frighten in any way. Not because of his pride or strength, but more so because of his phenomenal common sense and wisdom.

So I asked him, trying not to sound too curious. "Mysterious happenings?"

The old man sighed and sipped his drink before giving me a serious look.

"Don't you remember the case involving Kenji Kakeru five years ago?"

"Who doesn't?" I replied, whilst I wondered how such an event could be related to our previous discussion.

"Do you remember what he was charged for?" Kazuya placed his cup back onto the table.

"Vaguely…" I replied slowly. I had, like so many other captains, seen the results of that madman's actions and as I sipped I remembered only too well the remains of one of the few whole but dead specimens.

It had been only the size of a small child and it probably once was. However its skin was rather scaly, like a reptiles, and its hands were claw-like and monstrous. Its body was completely charred, as the researchers had burnt down the facility just before the Gotei 13's arrival. It was one of the few things I had seen in all my years of captaincy that had truly shaken my insides. But as I pondered my old memories a possibility occurred to me, one that could only probably make sense of this old man's curious anxiety.

"You've come into contact with one of his experiments."

Kazuya smiled grimly.

"A _live_ experiment?"

He nodded as I exhaled heavily.

"Have you told Yama-ji?" I asked though I suspected otherwise.

"If I had he would have given emergency orders to all captains and the squads would be mobilised and sent onto my estate" Kazuya picked up his glass again and finished his drink.

"But you don't want to make a scene for the clan's sake?" That was usually the explanation that noblemen usually gave when situations such as this arose, but Kazuya shook his head.

"It's more for _her_ sake" he said quietly.

"You mean your wife or-"

"No no! The experiment!" he put his glass back on the table with a bit more force then was necessary.

"The experiment..?" I still was finding it hard to tell what this man was trying to say.

He took a deep breath then sighed heavily.

"It's much easier for me to show you then it is for me to tell you"

I smiled. "Then by all means show me. I've been looking for an excuse to slip out of the office."

_**Two Hours later…**_

We were walking through a tropical forest on the Shirō estate.

Yes I know a tropical forest usually wouldn't fit on many other nobleman's estate however this was sacred land entrusted to the Shirō clan since three thousand years ago and they guarded it preciously.

Kazuya was slightly in front, leading me through the dense foliage and being lead in turn by the biggest feline I had ever seen in my entire life.

It was colossal almost 3'5'' in total length and powerfully built. It was covered in pure copper coloured fur with bold black stripes all along its back. Its paws were easily crushing the twigs beneath its feet with a large crunch. As the tiger turned a corner on the path it yawned, and I saw that it had the most massive fangs I had ever seen on a beast.

Thankfully it was passive whilst in Kazuya's company, so I was able to appreciate its beauty without fearing for my life. You see Kazuya has always had this strange affinity with tigers. It was a sort of trait that had descended from the Shirō clan's first ancestor, whose zanpakuto was a manifestation of a spirit of a legendary beast king. Ever since the ancestor's death the Shirō clan bred tigers which would serve as guard animals for the grounds.

Then it stopped and crouched down low and growled in such a low pitch that I felt the tremors in the earth beneath my feet.

"Stand down" Kazuya commanded and the animal slunk back. He motioned towards two trees just ahead of a small clearing.

For a moment I was perplexed but I did as was told.

We hid behind the trees for five minutes when a bush on the opposite side of the clearing rustled and _a certain child _stumbled backwards out of it.

The first thing that I, and most other people usually, noticed about Kokoro were her cat ears and tail both of which seemed a bit too large for her youthful figure. As her back was towards us I was rather wary as to what I might see as most of the specimens of Kenji Kakeru were rather mangled in appearence. However when she turned around I was very pleasantly surprised. She wasn't beastly as I had thought she might be. True she was quite small and thin for her age, but she was pretty with large round eyes and rosy cheeks though one of her prettiest features had to be her hair. It was the most gorgeous gold I have ever seen and so long …it trailed probably about three feet behind her on the ground.

Unfortunately I chose that moment as I was looking to take the tiniest gasp which she, with her astounding audible range, heard. She froze and I quickly flash stepped behind another tree but Kazuya stayed where he was. She began to walk towards my old tree with an elegant poise I have to admit I have rarely seen even in adults. But what impressed me more was the astounding reiatsu that was pooling out from her small stature.

It was when she reached two feet in front of my tree that she saw Kazuya. I watched through branches as she backed away from him snarling so venomously even though he wasn't in any way threatening her. It was both terrifying and amusing as her ears went flat and her tail straightened just like a cat. She ran backwards till finally she stumbled over her own feet.

I saw Kazuya quietly walk towards her unfazed by her seemingly vicious nature. As he approached her she looked up. Even from my high vantage point I could see the frightened tears that fell from her eyes.

Obviously Kazuya had also noticed this for he crouched down in front of her and, quite daringly, reached over to pat her head.

"It's alright" he said quietly, but Kokoro flinched as if expecting to be struck, however Kazuya's hand was gentle as it patted her head. "I'm not going to hurt you"

I felt the branch beneath my feet begin to creak and I knew if I didn't move soon it would break and I would fall. However if I did move I would startle the child and she'd probably make a run for it or go feral on us again.

So I compromised by shifting to a slightly higher branch slowly. As I moved the leaves rustled so I couldn't hear clearly what was happening beneath me till suddenly there was a loud sobbing sound.

I looked down through a gap and to my amazement Kokoro was in the old man's arms crying her eyes out. She cried so hard that she didn't even notice me falling out of my tree when my branch broke.

* * *

><p><span>Normal POV:<span>

"Eventually she her sobbing lessened and she allowed Kazuya to carry her back to squad eight. Nanao was finished with her duties so she looked after Kokoro whilst I wrote a report. Meanwhile Kazuya went back to his estate, talked things over with his clan and a few days later took Kokoro back with him as his adopted granddaughter."

An intense silence followed Kyoraku's last words. Eventually Ichigo spoke.

"One question… " his voice was rather heavy with confusion "Why would he make her his heir if he'd only just found her? Wouldn't he have preferred his own children to carry on after him? I mean…isn't that how it usually goes with nobility?"

"Yes usually" Byakuya answered from behind and Ichigo turned to listen. The nobleman's face was unemotional as ever except his grey eyes were hardened with a severity he always used when made to explain the rules and conventions to the orange haired youth who so often defied them.

"Most clan leaders pass down their legacy onto their next of kin, most commonly their children. However the last of Shirō-dono's children died a hundred and fifty years ago and usually in such circumstances the heir would be a cousin or nephew"

"Died? More like disappeared." a new and unexpected voice issued from the far back of the van. Everyone turned but they couldn't see anyone except for a streak of black as a cat jumped onto Byakuya's head.

"Yoruichi!" Ichigo exclaimed in surprise as everyone looked at the little black cat.

"Hey Ichigo! I hope I'm not interrupting" She sounded amused as she jumped into Byakuya's lap. His face turned from shocked to immensely sour whilst her tone became incredibly wicked. "What's wrong Byakuya-bou? What's with the sour look? If you want I could sit on your lap in my other form"

The look of abject horror on Byakuya's face sent Matsumoto into a fit of giggles which she could barely contain.

Trying to avoid any awkward _situations_ Ichigo changed tack at top speed.

"What do you mean by disappear"? Ichigo didn't even bother trying to hide his innocence as he reasoned in his head that if Byakuya, the 'king of calm', couldn't contain his emotions around this lady then he surely wouldn't stand a chance even trying.

Yoruichi's yellow eyes glinted as they settled on Ichigo who stiffened.

"What I mean by disappear is that they just simply vanished like poof into thin air"

"It was only the youngest son that ever went…_poof_ as you say_"_ Byakuya was back to his mask of indifference.

"True" Yoruichi stretched and curled into a ball in the man's lap quite unperturbed by his irate disposition. Ichigo still looked very confused so Ukitake expounded.

"Shirō Kaname was the last of Kazuya's children yet probably the most gifted, a prodigy even. Graduated from the Shino Academy in two years and quickly rose to become Captain of the Tenth Division. He'd only just become captain when a particularly malevolent hollow known as Skeletal Bonecrusher appeared. It took a few months but eventually Kaname tracked him down"

"But he never returned" Ichigo finished. Ukitake nodded gravely.

"It was the one of the shortest captaincies in the history of the Gotei 13"

Another heavy silence followed except for a few car horns beeping on either side.

Suddenly Urahara piped up.

"How about we eat something hmm… all this grim talk is making me hungry and besides" he turned around and grinned at his passengers "we'll need our strength if we are to rescue our two friends right"

Despite themselves the other van occupants smiled as Rukia popped out some juice boxes and handed them out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Rescue**

Two large glowing and translucent green pods stood motionless in a dark room, both containing two curled up figures floating in the liquid within. The one on the left seemed to have a muscular shape whilst its fellow was more slender, shapelier with long strange strands filling its casing.

The slender form shifted slightly. As if in response the larger figure's pod began to glow, a cold white blue light like the winter sun. It lasted for a few moments … but it died down quickly.

Then without warning it contracted. The membrane was folding in on itself, pushing down upon it's occupant who was forced out of a tear at its underside.

A young man slid out from the pod. The transparent jelly that had covered his masculine form splattered to the floor as feet, legs, body and lastly his head emerged. As his mouth was uncovered he screamed expelling all the fluid from his lungs and letting in the air that it had been craving for so long. Then came his nose, his eyes, and his snowy white hair all covered in slime.

The sounds of many people could be heard rushing over. Hands grabbed at the man and forced him face down onto a trolley as the scream of girl issued from behind.

* * *

><p>"SIR! SIR! WE HAVE A PROBLEM!"<p>

"Yes what is it?"

"Sir all the major systems are shutting down"

"How much energy is left?"

"Not enough to sustain any life. The barrier we're using to keep the Antarctic blizzard has nearly discintegrate. About twenty people have already died from freezing and and it could be killing more"

"…abandon the premises! Take all necessary data and only what you need! Find any other survivors and bring them to the evacuation point!"

"But Sir what about experiment 203 and 2012"

"Leave them be! They are of no use to me now! Clause stuffed up the tests!"  
>"But Sir the Shinigami are on their way didn't you want to finish the deal."<p>

"Screw the bloody deal! Besides we might as well let the blizzard finish all of them off! I ain't called the Antarctic for nothing. NOW GO!"

"YES SIR!"

* * *

><p>Toushiro Hitsugaya opened his eyes.<p>

He was greeted by a bleak white ceiling cloaked in the shadows of night time. The moonlight lit the room with its gentle white glow giving more than enough light to see his surroundings. He seemed to be lying in a hospital bed with yielding pillows, white linen and thick blankets. The slime that had covered him as he'd been in the pod was gone, his body covered in soft white cotton pyjamas.

_They let me out…_

He frowned at the ceiling, as if it were mocking his relief. He tried to shift his arms to put them behind his head but someone had pulled the blankets so snugly that it was near impossible to even shift two centimetres.

_So much for letting me out!_

He gritted his teeth and tried to shift his legs. As he squirmed from his blanket cage his feet hit the end of the bed.

He froze in shock when that happened. Though he never liked the fact that he was always so (to use his lieutenants words) "_vertically challenged" _he had to admit that he'd never in his life reached the end of any normal sized bed.

_Either this bed is made small or I've grown_

Two options Hitsugaya thought highly unlikely.

… Though was it?

He finally succeeded in loosening the blankets and pulled out his hands and inspected them. What he saw made him gasp.

They were not child size any more; the fingers were longer, the palms larger and the muscles on his arms were leaner, more masculine and adult.

Looking about wildly he spotted a rectangular mirror on a small bedside cabinet to his left. He swiped it, his new hands reaching farther than when they were smaller. He looked into the mirrors depths.

A young man looked back at him, his angular face looking quite surprised. His nose had grown longer and stronger, his neck fuller and thicker. His eyes seemed narrower though they still were the same shade of turquoise they had always been. This calmed him somewhat as he slid a hand through his hair. It had grown out slightly, resembling his childhood appearance when he lived in the Junrinian.

He put the mirror to the side and flexed his arms and legs. Both were slightly stiff from disuse. After stretching out Hitsugaya turned to face the right where, a few feet away, another hospital bed was illuminated in the moonlight.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. Upon looking down at his feet, he found to his pleasant surprise that he'd not only grown, but was now just 6'2" if he compared his height to a shelf opposite him. But he couldn't. Not when his eyes and entire being were drawn towards his greatest temptation.

It was as if there was very little air to breathe. Their skin was luminous, smooth like a luscious silk with hair was like a long sheet of molten gold. He sat down beside the figure and removed the several locks of hair that lay over their face.

The face of a woman became visible. It was young face, with high cheekbones, delicate feminine features, finely arched brows, long thick lashes and rosy cheeks… rosy cheeks with strange markings … markings like whiskers.

His eyes travelled away from her face towards the top of her head. Two tiger ears stuck out oddly from within the mass of gold.

"Kokoro..?" he breathed, her name rolling off his tongue in a dry huskier tone. His new and older body was reacting in a way that his younger one would never even have dreamed of. Every inch of skin that he saw of hers made a new found thirst grow inside. He ran his tongue over his lower lip as his eyes travelled across her collarbone under which the smallest amount of cleavage was visible. She'd certainly been changed.

It was then that she began to stir. He snapped his eyes to her face as she groaned. One eye opened, then the other, though they weren't the unusual shade of amber that Hitsugaya had become used to seeing. They were a clear bright blue that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, just like a Lapis Lazuli. He examined her expression as she blinked up at him sleepily.

"…Toushiro?" Kokoro muttered sitting up slowly. She seemed to be wearing a simple white shift that reached down to her knees quite comfortably.

"Hey" The corners of Hitsugaya's lips twitched slightly upwards as he helped her by propping up the pillows behind her back.

"What happened?" She asked looking at his transformation with a peculiar calmness.

"We're grown up" Hitsugaya said simply. There was no other way of putting it across to her.

"What do you mean _we_?" Kokoro narrowed her eyes as if scolding him for a bad joke.

Sighing Hitsugaya walked back over to the bedside table, picked up the mirror and handed it to her. Her jaw dropped.

"What the hell!" She yelled loudly. She dropped the mirror into her lap hurriedly before yanking the top of her shift forward and looking down the front of her chest.

"What the…What the hell are these!"

She grabbed her own breasts and felt them.

Just what had happened to them?

The strange mixture of elation and terror that shot through her as she squeezed the mammary fat soon became a disappointed sigh.

_Oh great! Not only did that bastard Kenji change my age forcibly, but he also gave me small boobs. Thanks a lot moronic researcher!_

She looked up at Hitsugaya who snickered amusedly as they made eye contact.

"It's not funny!" she huffed, but his snickers turned into loud boyish laughter. She tried to hit him with her pillow, but he caught her hand and pulled her closer so that their faces were several inches apart.

"And just what exactly were you trying to achieve by doing that?" he smirked in her face. Kokoro glared at him, her pink rosy cheeks now a shade of deep red.

She was about to pull a retort when her ears twitched at a sound.

_Thump. Thump. Thump. ._

The colour drained from her face so fast that Hitsugaya's smirk faltered.

"What's wrong?" he asked but she put a slender finger to his lips to silence him. She turned her head, sniffed the air and almost gagged.

Apart from Hitsugaya and herself there was another scent close by. It smelled terrible, like the odour of a decaying corpse with a side of rotten eggs and a wet dog.

It rumbled again. This time Hitsugaya turned his head around. Whatever the source of the foul stench was it must have moved closer to their room for him to have heard it.

They waited for a few more minutes, until the roaring sound died away into the distance.

"Toushiro …" Kokoro shuddered. A strange chill had suddenly run through her making the blood in her veins feel like ice.

"Yeah?"

Lapis met turquoise and for a moment the world seemed to pause as the two gazed into each other.

"Toushiro we …" she shivered feebly as Hitsugaya leaned in a couple more inches making the distance almost nonexistent.

He couldn't help himself; the newly activated hormones in his system had driven his brain's usual mental control completely out the window. Her breath was so enticing, her skin under his hand smooth as it glided onto her shoulder and then to her back.

Kokoro closed her eyes with what seemed to be exhaustion and gave what seemed to be in between a sigh and a shiver. Hitsugaya frowned as his hand smoothed itself over her shoulder. It was starting to turn deathly pale.

His eyes widened in alarm as he felt her fatigued form lean onto him breathing heavily. "S-So c-c-cold" Kokoro clung to his clothes and buried her face into the warm crook of his neck.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Something was walking towards their door from the other side.

"Hello!" He yelled out towards the door. Surely it must be some help! "Hey! Is anyone there!"

The pause that followed made Hitsugaya hold Kokoro slightly closer to him.

"It's a-al-alright." She shivered looking up at him and smiling. "It's…"

The door to their room banged open and a woman stumbled into the room with long strawberry blond hair and an exceptionally large bosom stumbled slightly.

"MATSUMOTO!" Hitsugaya cried out as his lieutenant leaned on the door frame for support. She seemed to be wearing an assortment of thick heavy snow gear from the human world with a pair of pink goggles on her head.

"…Taicho?" Her eyes widened when she saw the two of them before her face broke into a wide smile. Quickly she ran to stick her head through the doorway.

"Guys! Guys! I found them!" she yelled at the top of her voice. Hitsugaya winced. He'd almost forgotten just how loud his lieutenant could get. He felt a weight on his chest and quickly looked down.

"Kokoro!" he yelled in a panic. Kokoro's body was now almost as cold as ice; her grip on his clothes was slackening and fast as her eyelids began to close.

"What is it Taicho?" Matsumoto rushed to his side immediately and put a hand onto Kokoro's forehead.

"She's freezing alive" she muttered just as the sound of many feet came towards them. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto turned around.

"Hey are you guys…OH!" Renji, Byakuya and Kyoraku stared from the doorway, their eyes bulging slightly from their sockets. Matsumoto studied them for a moment before asking.

"You guys don't have any spare jackets you could lend us do you?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Simply the Cat's pyjamas**

It was the early hours of the morning when a black cat woke up. She'd been nicely curled up next to the feet of her old friend and colleague Ukitake Jyuushiro. Next to him and on the floor she could hear the loud snores which came from many of her other companions.

Unable to go back to sleep with that noise in her ears she sat up and licked herself clean thinking of all that she'd seen that night.

* * *

><p>Flash Back Time ~:<p>

**It was nearly midnight at the Kagamino docks. All was quiet and peaceful. The boats were bobbing up and down next to a pier on which a long two story tall warehouse stood. The solitary lamp that stood at its entrance illuminated a large number thirteen painted on its front in white paint, and a little black cat.**

**Its yellow eyes surveyed its surroundings shrewdly as it basked in the moonlight. Its ears twitched slightly as it heard the sound of footsteps.**

**A tall teenage boy walked casually towards the cat. He was dressed in light blue jeans and zipped up black jacket with the hood up which still couldn't hide the shock of carrot orange hair on his head. The cat's tail twitched and narrowed its eyes as it surveyed the plastic bag he was holding.**

**"Took you long enough" It spoke smugly as Ichigo Kurosaki scowled and sat down beside it.**

**"Shut up Yoruichi!" he snapped as he took out a little plastic bowl, plastic cup and a heated drink canister. "You have no idea how long it took me to wait in line for just this!"**

**Yoruichi studied the youths face intently as he popped the cap open and poured some hot creamy milk into the bowl which he placed in front of her paws. **

**"Why do you make such an attempt to hide your hair?" she asked as she leaned down to take a first lick.**

**"Why do you wanna know?" Ichigo growled as he drank the milk from his cup.**

**"No real reason" Yoruichi gulped down the milk gratefully.**

_**Mmmm… ah… nothing like a bowl of hot milk on a chilly evening.**_

**"How's things at the motel? Erp!" she belched a little as she finished her bowl. "Excuse me"**

**"It's ok. Rukia's taking care of Ukitake he had a small attack just before I left so he's had to take it easy, and old hat and clogs is reading. Well he was when I last saw them." Ichigo stared at the yellow and white buoys floating by the closest pier.**

**"And?" Yoruichi eyed the youth with intrigue. **

**"And what?" Ichigo snapped at the cat that snickered in an amused fashion.**

**"Well something's obviously eating at you." **

**Ichigo glared at her, but she still continued to smile.**

**"Maybe later" he sighed and stood up as a grinding sound of a door to their right signified the return of their friends.**

**Byakuya stepped out first, his dark black hair flowing gracefully around his face. Renji was second and stooped slightly as he held a large rucksack on his back Kyoraku bounced out and complained loudly about the cold and then finally came Matsumoto with a fresh dusting of snow in her strawberry hair. She held the door open for a second person, which Yoruichi presumed must have been Hitsugaya. Although he was much taller and older than she'd remembered and he was carrying a bundle of blankets very carefully.**

**As they moved away from the door she caught a glimpse of what was inside the door. A harsh cold blizzard on an icy plane.**

**"Alright so where did you guys go again?" Ichigo asked as Matsumoto shut the door and the cold.**

**"It's a special gateway to another part of your world." Byakuya explained passively as he took off a couple of layers of jackets under which he was wearing a dark grey turtleneck that matched his eyes. "I believe you call it the south pole"**

**"What Antarctica?" Ichigo's eyes darted to the door and back at his friends.**

**"I don't know and I don't care" Renji let out his hair from its customary ponytail and shook it out violently like a wet dog. Wet drops and snow splattered everywhere. **

**"Oy Watch it! You're gonna get us all wet! And Kokoro-chan's already not well as it stands" Matsumoto had stripped down to a pair of jeans, with a white top and a thin plum camisole. As she spoke she looked towards the direction where she could see Hitsugaya still holding the cocoon of blankets that was Kokoro.**

**Though she was still a bit pale, Kokoro seemed to regain a little of her strength and snuggled into Hitsugaya's chest contentedly. Curious Matsumoto looked into her captain's face and fought the urge to take out her camera and go completely click happy. She had never seen him looking so gentle and caring. But the moment was fleeting as he caught Matsumoto's eye and scowled in usual fashion.**

**Matsumoto caught Yoruichi's eye and the two of them snickered wickedly.**

**"What's up with you two?" Ichigo called out as he shut off his cell phone.**

**"Nothing! Nothing!" Matsumoto winked at her captain before turning back to Ichigo.**

**"Have you called Urahara?"**

**"Yeah just now, he should be here in ten minutes"**

**And sure enough ten minutes later a white van pulled up on the road opposite. As they got inside Urahara called out.**

**"Well well Hitsugaya Taicho you've certainly grown up a bit haven't you." The strange man seemed to put his hand onto thin air. "Your friend looks a bit cold; I'll put on the heater when we get started."**

**"heh? Grown up?" Ichigo asked as he heard what must have been Hitsugaya moving to a spot at the back.**

**"You'll see" Urahara said before handing Ichigo what looked like a strange eye drop bottle. "Put one drop on each eye and two drops in each ear"**

**"Excuse me?"**

**"It will help you see and hear spirits. That way you can talk to everyone without them having to be in their gigai's"**

**"err…ok… thanks" Ichigo took the little bottle and sat down and followed Urahara's instructions. Yoruichi smirked from her seat in Byakuya's lap.**

**That this was a prototype and Ichigo was being used as a guinea pig.**

_**Oh well we can only hope that it doesn't turn him blind.**_

* * *

><p>Yoruichi yawned and smiled slightly as she remembered Ichigo's expression upon seeing grown up Hitsugaya for the first time. Thankfully Urahara's prototype had worked and a good thing it had because Ichigo's expression had been priceless.<p>

_Speaking of priceless…_

She turned her head towards the second bed on which a young woman was lying, fast asleep. Her golden hair was so long that splayed across the pillows and fell over the edge of the mattress. It reminded Yoruichi of those pictures in the human world fairytales she'd seen Urahara read to Jinta and Ururu when they were little. There had been many stories of damsels, whom the brave hero would save from the clutches of an evil villain.

Her smile widened as she looked upon said hero, who was sleeping next to the girl, one arm draped over her shoulders and curling to hold her head, as he entwined his fingers in her smooth hair. His short white hair in comparison was quite messy even for bed hair.

_By all the kami's above he really did stay there all night._

Yoruichi gave a small giggle remembering how determined Hitsugaya had been to stay by Kokoro's side till he was sure she was better. Then suddenly just as she was about to settle down again another voice muttered sleepily.

"Well aren't you an early riser"

Yoruichi turned to see Ukitake lying down but eyes open and smiling.

"Just sightseeing" She yawned before jerking her head in the direction of the two sleeping youths on the opposite bed.

Ukitake looked just in time to see Hitsugaya whisper something softly against Kokoro's right temple before pressing his lips to it.

For a moment Ukitake looked surprised.

"Is that…" he sat up and looked Hitsugaya and Kokoro's new forms in wonderment.

"Yes Yes it is."

He looked around at the sleeping people around the beds before settling back down on the pillows.

"Don't you want an explanation?" Yoruichi asked surprised at her old colleague's unusually relaxed attitude towards the entire situation.

"I'll ask them about it when they wake up but it really is a pity"

"What is?" Yoruichi stretched doggy style before slouching.

"Now I'm going to have to think of better excuses to give the two of them treats"

The older man's smile widened as he saw the corners of Kokoro's mouth twitch upwards.

"Well if you ask me I think Soul Society is in for a long awaited treat don't you?" Yoruichi said suddenly getting up and making her way towards the crook under Ukitake's arm.

"Indeed Shihouin-san. Indeed"

She rolled her eyes and put her head between her paws.

"urg! How many times do I have to remind you not to be so formal?"

"Sorry…" he apologised "it's a bit of a habit"

"An annoying one at that" She licked her paw again, smoothing out the uneven fur.

"I'm sorry you think that way"

"You shouldn't be sorry. That's just how you've always been"

Ukitake chuckled.

"What" Yoruichi narrowed her eyes at him shrewdly.

"You seem to be in a pleasant mood, saying all these nice things"

"Get stuck in a room with two lovebirds like the ones over there" she cocked her head in the direction towards Kokoro and Hitsugaya "and eventually you'll start to feel all warm and fuzzy too"

"Hmm…but I'm glad. It's been so long since something good happened for the both of them I hope it lasts"

"Oh don't say that" Yoruichi said in mock surprise. "The next thing you know they'll get married and have children and many by the looks of it if they stay in those young bodies"

"I don't know…" Ukitake yawned "It would be nice to hear the sounds of a young happy family around the divisions again"

"Liar!" Yoruichi eyed him with amusement "You just want your own little platoon of Shiro-chan's"

"Or maybe I just want grandchildren from Toushiro"

"You do know he's not really your son" she sighed

"He's as good as one to me" Ukitake looked back at the sleeping pair and smiled softly.

"Hmmm… you're such an old man"

"Yes and this old man wants to get some more sleep" Ukitake slid his arms back under the blankets and closed his eyes

"If you say so Grandpa Shiro"

And with that the black cat Yoruichi finally curled up into a little ball and fell fast asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Driven Wild**

"How about this Taicho?"

Toushiro Hitsugaya had been through many hardships in his life, each one worse than the last. However none of them ever could compare to the torture his lieutenant Matsumoto had made him endure today.

The torture of … Rangiku Matsumoto's shopping spree.

He groaned as he looked at the flamboyant rainbow board shorts that she was holding in front of him.

"Definitely not!"

"pfffd! Picky Party Pooper" she huffed putting the shorts back on the rack and scanning for another design.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. She'd been like this for most of the afternoon, teasing him with ridiculous clothing choices. He'd lost count of how many times he'd gone in and out of different change rooms mainly located in expensive designer outlets. Alright, he did admit that his unexpected "growth spurt", as Renji put it, required him to get a new wardrobe, but it did not mean get into a new tight gigai and buy nearly several tonnes of clothes and stuff all at once either.

He just hoped that Matsumoto wouldn't be too hard on Kokoro when the latter would be taken tomorrow. She was back at the motel, awake but resting as Urahara performed a couple of checkups. She seemed perfectly healthy, a far cry from her previous near death frozen state.

He was forced into yet another dressing room with the swimwear he was holding, probably the most decent article Matsumoto had found in the shop. He looked into the mirror where he saw himself dressed in a pair of Byakuya's spare black pants, with a black belt, black shoes and a white shirt borrowed from Ukitake. As he got dressed he examined his body and wondered whether or not it would impress Kokoro.

_Master._

Hyorinmaru's voice echoed in his head.

_You need not worry. If the way that these human women have been gawking at you and that any other man has been staring at you enviously is anything to go by you must be attractive enough._

"I know" Hitsugaya muttered as he stripped off his shirt. "But she's … well… gorgeous. She could have any man that she wanted to in the click of a finger" He felt embarrassed as he said it for these were words he wasn't accustomed to uttering at all. But above all he felt pissed.

Earlier that day Hitsugaya had been standing on a balcony outside the door with Byakuya and they had been talking about what would happen when they got back when Kokoro had joined them. She was wearing a pair of Matsumoto's jeans under one of Rukia's dresses which seemed more like a top since Kokoro was now 5'6". When she greeted them she had given them both a radiant smile that bedazzled Hitsugaya for a moment as he pathetically spluttered back, unlike Byakuya who calmly acknowledged his lieutenants presence and closed up the dressing gown she was wearing, which had opened up slightly.

Hyorinmaru growled. He knew exactly what was bothering his master so badly and why, and he didn't like it either.

Hitsugaya stepped out of the dressing room and nodded to Matsumoto who ecstatically went to the counter with his credit card to pay for his purchase.

It seemed impossible that he could ever be with her when she obviously seemed to fit well with another aristocrat. Her captain for example, a man of duty, honour with a noble bearing, a proud family history and a composure so absolute that it was rarely shaken. Those attributes plus the fact that the two of them seemed to fit well together as an exceptionally attractive couple.

He felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Come on Taicho we have to go back"

"Didn't you say we needed to get some more things?" he droned in boredom.

"Oh yes I did. Thank you for reminding me" Matsumoto bounced happily out of the shop with her defeated Captain in toe.

**The next day …**

Kokoro walked through the door of the motel room feeling quite self-conscious with an excitable Matsumoto on her right and a happy but more composed Rukia on her left. The three of them had been shopping for over five hours going to buy shoes, underwear and other such articles. However Kokoro was happy.

It was the first time in her life she'd ever gone shopping with female friends and not been stared at. Urahara had provided her a gigai quite quickly overnight which looked completely human with normal ears and no tail. True this meant that it was a little bit tight for comfort but Kokoro didn't mind.

"We're back!" Matsumoto burst through with extravagant enthusiasm that was not reciprocated due to the fact that there was no one else in the room besides Yoruichi, who was reading a magazine in her human form dressed in nothing but a bathrobe, and Ukitake who was in such a deep slumber that it would take the end of the world to wake him up.

"Where're the others?" Matsumoto dropped her hands in disappointment.

"Ichigo and Urahara are buying some bentos at the supermarket." Yoruichi replied casually flipping a page. "Renji and Byakuya-bou are out patrolling. Shunsui is out to get some drinks and Shiro-chan #2 is in the bathroom"

"_Was _in the bathroom" Hitsugaya had walked in towel slung over his white hair and wearing nothing but a pair of jeans which were loosely hanging from his hips.

Yoruichi wolf whistled and Matsumoto called out cheekily "Oh baby! Taicho I always knew you would grow up one day but I never would've guessed you'd become such a sexy beast! Whoo if only the girls in Soul Society could see you now - "

"I'd never be able to be in peace ever again! And don't you dare take out that camera" Hitsugaya hissed his face reddening.

Matsumoto puffed and put the camera she'd just taken out back into her bag. She had been insisting to take as many pictures of her captain as possible following his transformation. She then skipped off to join Yoruichi in perusing the magazine as Rukia went into the now vacated bathroom.

Kokoro in the meanwhile had sat down on the edge of the other empty bed and was folding all the clothes she'd bought and putting them in a large navy blue suitcase. He walked over to her spot and sat besides her looking at his own dark green trunk.

"You alright?" he asked her as she folded up a pair of black skinny jeans.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and blushed. "Yeah I'm alright" she looked back at the garments in her hands with a little too much concentration.

Hitsugaya smirked and leaned in close to whisper softly in her ear so that no one else could hear.

"Sorry" he murmured and her blush became much deeper "I know Matsumoto can be a little demanding at times"

"It's alright. She means well." She bashfully smiled and tilted her head away from him slightly.

Her long blond hair which had grown out to waist length hung loose swished to the side gently, revealing a long swan white neck. Involuntarily Hitsugaya's tongue briefly skimmed over his dry lips as his eyes travelled down her neck to her legs which were only covered by a denim skirt that only reached her mid thighs. His eyes darted back upwards to bare shoulder from which one of Matsumoto's white tops sleeves was starting to slip. It was pretty loose fitting on Kokoro due to the fact that her chest wasn't so buxom like Matsumoto's was.

Grateful for an excuse to touch her, his had reached out only to be impeded by Kokoro's hand as she fixed it herself still keeping her eyes averted from him.

His eyes hardened slightly in frustration and he heard Hyorinmaru growl from somewhere in his soul. She hadn't minded so much when her captain had fixed her clothes up yesterday. He continued to reach out till he touched her hand and put his other hand on her other shoulder.

She turned round and looked up at him confusion. "Toushiro what-" But she faltered as he slid both sleeves down just till they hung beneath her shoulders.

"It looked much prettier like this" he murmured leaning in again. If Hitsugaya had thought her face was red before it was nothing to the rosy shade she'd reached now. His eyes lingered on her full pink lips which were trembling ever so slightly. The memory of his first kiss came back in full force and he wondered what it would be like now to kiss her again, to taste her.

Hyorinmaru's growling had softened into a satisfied purr till the closing of a door sounded and Rukia exited the bathroom looking refreshed having had a bath and changed into her violet Chappy pyjamas.

Kokoro stood up quickly.

"Sorry" she muttered hurriedly grabbing her own new nightgown, a baby blue one with a cat motif. She rushed into the bathroom and closed the door with a little too much force than what was necessary.

She rushed to the mirror and looked into it. Her face was so red and she was panting for breath. Her heart felt like it was going at a million miles per hour. She splashed her face with water, but it did nothing to alleviate the anxiety in her system. Gripping the sides of the basin tightly she stared at her reflection her eyes resting on her pulled down sleeves.

_Breathe Little one_

She heard a deep female voice in her head.

"Torasenshi" she panted. Slowly she took a deep breath of relief.

_That's it. Just breathe._

Her zanpakuto spirit gently encouraged her. After a moment or so she felt calmer.

_Feeling any better?_

Torasenshi asked, her voice amused.

"Yeah a bit. Thanks"

_It's alright._

She chuckled for a moment before adding

_If it means anything to you he was only trying to flirt with you, not frighten you_

"You have a _great_ sense of humour you know that?" Kokoro said sarcastically.

_I never joke about these kind of things little one._

"I know and it wasn't him that frightened me" she sighed.

No Hitsugaya had not frightened her in any way, if anything it had been her body's reaction that had done it. Every time he'd whispered in her ear, his breath had tickled in such a way that nearly made her melt and when he'd pulled down her sleeves and looked at her with that look … that look…

She turned bright red as she remembered his face. She bit her lip as she remembered the way his turquoise eyes had smouldered with a curious hunger as he'd looked up and down her body. A shiver of thrill ran involuntarily through her as she remembered his lingering touch, but she dispelled it quickly.

"I need a bath" she breathed, Torasenshi's amused giggles echoing in her head.

Meanwhile outside, Hitsugaya was being read the riot act by his lieutenant whilst Rukia, Yoruichi and Ukitake (who just awoke) watched in awkward silence from the latter's bedside.

"I know you're in a new body but that doesn't mean you go pouncing onto the girl you like first thing and scaring her senseless!" Matsumoto hissed whipping her captain around the shoulder with his towel. He was sitting on the edge of Ukitake's bed in a state of semi nakedness; his hair was still wet and kept on dripping onto the carpeted floor of the room creating a large damp patch.

"It was dumb I know" Hitsugaya groaned in frustration.

"Dumb! Dumb!" Matsumoto nearly screeched. Hitsugaya hung his head in shame.

His lieutenant rarely gave him lectures, but whenever she did, Hitsugaya knew that he had really messed up. And he'd definitely screwed up big time just now.

Matsumoto glared at his unusually subdued form and her scowl softened though her tone didn't.

"For a supposed child genius you can be pretty thick you know that" she folded her arms and observed her captain with narrowed eyes.

He didn't retort but stared at the opposite wall.

Then in came the others from outside.

"Hey guys what's up" Renji asked looking at the little scene.

"Nothing, just giving my Captain a lecture on how to treat a girl properly" Matsumoto huffed not taking her eyes off Hitsugaya who was still staring at the wall in a daze.

Renji, Urahara, Ichigo and Kyoraku all met each other's eyes and burst into fits of laughter. Byakuya on the other hand stayed fairly composed and asked calmly.

"I need to speak with my lieutenant, where is she?"

_My lieutenant_

Hitsugaya's shame quickly turned to a seething storm inside. So she was _his _was she?

"Kokoro-san is taking a bath" Rukia replied restraining herself from laughing as well.

She was right of course. Hitsugaya could hear Kokoro humming to herself in the shower in the bathroom. Kokoro in the shower …

Matsumoto didn't need to know what he was thinking to know that why his face was turning red again.

"Can't you control your hormones for just two seconds!" She hit him with the towel again this time wrapping him hard around the back of the head.

Nobody could hold it in anymore. They all burst into laughter even Byakuya who had hid his mouth behind his hand to stop anyone seeing him smile.

"It's Not Funny!" Matsumoto yelled "If the message doesn't sink in like it should then there's no point training him!" Matsumoto growled in frustration but everyone just laughed even harder. Ichigo and Renji were practically leaning on each other for support.

"I'm not a dog you know" Hitsugaya retorted getting to his feet and towering over his lieutenant. She didn't flinch but glared up at him poking a finger into his bare chest hard.

"Yeah well … You're acting like one … one that's in heat!"

"What's going on?"

Everyone stopped abruptly and turned to see Kokoro in a baby blue, cat patterned nightdress. She seemed to be quite calm, in fact quite content.

"Oh nothing." Matsumoto put her big sisterly smile back on and took a step back from her captain. "Just a little Captain/Lieutenant conversation"

"Oh ok." She looked at the two of them, her gaze lingered for a second more on Hitsugaya who avoided her eye awkwardly. She began walking away when she stopped.

"Oh yeah Toushiro you forgot this it was on the sink" she turned and held out her hand on which his communicator sat, he took it feeling himself go pink as he touched her skin briefly. From somewhere behind him he could hear Ichigo start to giggle again.

"thanks" he muttered.

"You're welcome"

"Kokoro-san" Byakuya clipped in a professional manner his face back to his usual stone mask "I need a word with you in private"

"Of course Taicho right away" she nodded to her captain. But just as she was about to walk away she felt something grasp at her fingers.

"Wait Kokoro" Hitsugaya said. She turned around looking at him questioningly.

He gulped unsure of whether he could say it or not, but he forced it out of his mouth nonetheless.

"I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable before, I didn't mean to - " but he broke off suddenly as Kokoro went closer towards him cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.

It was nothing like his first kiss, it was ten times better. Hitsugaya nearly melted when both her tongue and his briefly touched, then it was withdrawn as she pulled away slowly, teasingly.

Kokoro saw the childish disappointment in his expression eyes and smirked as he followed her closely wanting more.

"You want more of that?" she asked and she heard a splutter from one of the other occupants of the room.

Hitsugaya didn't respond but his eyes smouldered with heated desire.

Nearly everyone in the room's jaws dropped. Even Ichigo had gone quiet. In fact he was probably the most stunned mullet in the room. But neither of the pair paid any heed to them.

Then suddenly without any warning, Kokoro's knee went up sharply in-between Hitsugaya's legs.

He fell to his knees, his hand over his privates and spluttered in pain. There was a loud "ooo" of sympathy from the other men in the room who cringed at his predicament, whilst the women smirked and Yoruichi held out her fist quietly hissing in victory.

"You want more of that?" Kokoro looked down on Hitsugaya smugly.

"Then earn it!" she swished her head and went outside to the balcony. Her captain followed looking quite shocked.

The rest of them stood frozen for a few moments before Ichigo asked trembling in shock. "What just happened?"

It was a while before Yoruichi answered a broad catlike grin spreading over her face "I'll tell you what happened Hitsugaya taicho just got owned!"

She looked at Hitsugaya's expression expecting him to look dejected. However the pain in it was slowly transforming into a wicked smirk that held a dark secret.

_Oh Kokoro_

She rolled her eyes as Ukitake, who had also been observing Hitsugaya, face palmed at the boys eager expression.

_What have you done to this boy?_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Dire Straits**

"Welcome back Kyoraku - Taicho"

"Welcome back Ukitake - Taicho, miss Kuchiki"

"Welcome back Abarai - Taicho"

"Welcome back Kuchiki - Taicho and …"

"Welcome back Matsumoto - fukutaicho and …"

The simultaneous ceremonial welcoming bows of squads 5, 6, 8, 10 and 13 stopped in their tracks as they stared in shock at the last two of the eight figures who had just exited the Senkaimon.

Hitsugaya Toushiro and Shirō Kokoro had just stepped side by side out of the white light of the gateway, two hell butterflies over each of their shoulders.

Hitsugaya was wearing his usual ensemble of captain's haori and a black Shihakushō, though it was definitely larger to accommodate his new height. He'd also gotten rid of his green sash and instead had a thin bronze chain that looped from his right shoulder holding his long zanpakuto on his back, though it still retained his star shaped clip.

He nodded to his squad but they didn't seem to be listening. Instead they stared as Kokoro made her way to walk behind her captain.

Hitsugaya could understand their confusion. Out of the two of them, Kokoro had been the most physically changed. He watched as he turned to follow Byakuya, Matsumoto in toe.

Kokoro was wearing the standard shihakushō top with shortened sleaves that only reached her elbow the. sixth squad's arm band on her right arm and similar fingerless white tekkou gloves as her captain, though hers were longer and reached just below her where her sleaves ended. On the bottom however she only wore a pair of mid thigh black nylon bike shorts from which her tiger tail swished gently as she walked in the usual white tabi and sandals. Her zanpakuto, a Persian dagger with a lazuli coloured sheath and gold trimmings, was held on a garter around her outer right thigh just beneath her shorts. It glinted prettily at Hitsugaya making him think of her eyes which were the exact same colour as the sheath. He scowled as his gaze travelled upwards towards Kokoro's new sash around the front of her slim waist.

It was cobalt blue, her division's colour, and was a gift from Byakuya who'd also given her a black ribbon which she'd tied in a feminine bow at the back of her head, pulling back her front bangs and preventing her swish of blond hair on her forehead from blocking her eyes. Though her cat ears did stick out a bit the whole affect was both quite charming and yet spunky. He watched resentfully as Kokoro hurried to her captain's side to speak with him.

"So what now Taicho?" Kokoro asked quietly Byakuya as she childishly skipped a little in his wake.

"The Soutaicho requested an emergency meeting as soon as we returned" he clipped not taking his eyes from the path ahead.

Kokoro gulped quietly to herself as their party walked through the gates into the first division which were flanked by two of its rather austere looking members.

As they made their ways around the halls Kokoro slowly became aware that her palms had gone immensely sweaty. She rubbed her fingers together and looked up at the sky. Sure it was a clear summer's day, but when they'd been at the Senkaimon it was certainly not this hot. So what could possibly be causing this sudden heatwave?

However as Kokoro saw the doors of the main Captain's assembly hall; she could feel an astounding amount of reiatsu pulsating with anger. She shuddered involuntarily as the doors opened and they stepped into a waiting room at the end of which were two large wooden doors.

She caught Kyoraku's eye as he caught up to Kokoro and Byakuya, who had been leading in front. He smiled down at her nervousness and gave her a reassuring pat on the back as he murmured.

"It's both a Captain and Lieutenant's meeting so you'll be standing with us, not kneeling on the floor" he paused as another heatwave of Yamamoto's reiatsu blasted through the door "You'll be between me and your captain. Don't worry I'll look after you"

"Thanks Uncle-Shun" Kokoro gave a weak smile of appreciation as everyone else in the room turned to stare at the two of them.

"Uncle … what?" Matsumoto shook her head with a wtf look on her face that her captain mirrored.

"I'll tell you later" Kokoro waved it off as the doors opened.

There sat Yamamoto at the front in a large chair, old wrinkled and yet extremely intimidating. His lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe who had his hands behind his back was standing a little further back than what was usual, possibly because of his captain's rage.

As they assumed their positions in the two rows the other captains followed Hitsugaya and Kokoro's progress with a grim intrigue. Kokoro noticed as she saw through the corner of her eye that two gaps still remained where the third and the ninth squad captains should be.

When she was in position she noticed she was opposite Renji who gave her a swift grin and a nod as if to say "you're doing well".

Kokoro nodded back at him, but didn't smile. If Yamamoto's mood was this bad already then it shouldn't be pushed even further by displays of frivolity in what was supposed to be a serious meeting. Then as she was about to her head to see the old man she caught sight of the girl who was standing beside Renji.

She was shorter than Kokoro by about seven to eight inches and was of a slender and frailer build. Her dark brown hair was tied up into a bun behind her head and her uniform was neat and clean. She had a kind face, but it was shadowed by a sadness that seemed to seep from deep within the girl's soul.

Kokoro's eyes widened a fraction as she quickly turned her eyes towards Hitsugaya to her right who was looking up at Yamamoto. If he was shocked to see Hinamori Momo there he was doing an amazing job of hiding it, though his gaze, she noticed, was a bit too concentrated on the old man to be natural.

Sasakibe cleared his throat loudly and they all turned to face the front. One of Yamamoto's wrinkled eyes opened.

"Now that everyone is here, let us begin this emergency meeting"

A great surge of power emanated from his elderly form that was more powerful than anything Kokoro had felt before. She just managed to keep herself composed though her hands were balled into fists behind her back and shaking.

"We have a grave situation on our hands." Yamamoto rumbled

_Yeah you don't say_

Kokoro thought her ears flattening slightly as another blast of heat rolled again. God just what was pissing this guy off so much?

"Last night at eleven hundred hours the traitor, Aizen Sosuke, escaped his cell from the lowest underground prison #8 Avici"

Many people gasped, some of the lieutenants muttered. From the corner of her eye Kokoro saw Hinamori sway slightly where she stood her face white and her eyes wide.

Yamamoto waited for them all to fall into silence before speaking again.

"In response to this event, it is essential that we begin searching and collecting intelligence on Aizen's whereabouts and his movements. It would also deem prudent to tighten our security around Soul Society and certain areas of the human world. I want this matter to be one of your top priorities and I strongly suggest you cooperate unless you want to be in the dire straits yourselves"

_Talk about no pressure_

Kokoro's grip on her hands behind her back was now so tight that she could feel her fingernails dig into her skin. A faint smell of blood hit her nose, and from the other side of Hinamori, Komamura stiffened and gave a sniff just audible enough for Kokoro to hear. She knew the anthropomorphic wolf captain could smell her fresh blood just as easily as she could.

Yamamoto coughed slightly and signalled to Sasakibe who handed him a paper file which the old man opened.

"Before I called this meeting I had met with two of Aizen's cell guards. They are both dead now but before they died they were able to tell us that before he escaped a strange figure had appeared through a portal. The accomplice was reported to be wearing a black hooded cloak with an insignia which they described to look like a dragon in an infini-"

"In an infinity loop with a kanji in the smaller left loop" Kokoro breathed her eyes going wide.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry" Kokoro muttered turning her eyes to the floor embarrassed.

_Shit I interrupted him!_

She hadn't meant to say it out loud, it had slipped out. Yamamoto's stern gaze did not waver for a full minute as he studied her.

"Would you care to explain how you have come to know this symbol Shirō - Fukutaicho?" he rumbled.

"I -" Kokoro stuttered feeling completely self conscious as all the other lieutenants and captains looked at her with undisguised intrigue.

"I have it on me actually" she gulped slightly as with trembling fingers she undid her sash and opened her shirt.

_Thank god I'm wearing a sports bra_

She thought relieved as everyone stared at her torso.

Underneath her solar plexus to the left half of the body was a reddish brown mark which accurately resembled a grotesque dragon shape entwined in an infinity loop with a kanji in the left loop.

"A tattoo?" Renji asked but Unohana shook her head.

"No the skin's discoloured and damaged. It's a burn" She'd abandoned her spot and was now in front of Kokoro bending slightly to see the mark in clearer detail.

"Envy…" She muttered reading the symbol in the first loop. She looked at Kokoro and her eyes were sympathetic.

"Did you get this when you were first kidnapped?"

"Yes" Kokoro answered tensely "All of the experiments were branded with this before they were tested. There was also a plaque with this symbol above one of the laboratories. I remember clearly because that was the room in which I got these" she pointed to her cat ears and tail. "However the kanji I have in mine was different to the others"

"What did they have?" Unohana asked gently.

Kokoro replied casually "there were few other different kanji. All in all there were seven I think. Pride was the most common, and then there was lust, wrath, sloth, gluttony and greed. As far as I know I was the only one with the kanji for envy"

"The seven sins, it is as I feared" Yamamoto stared thoughtfully at the hideous burn. Everyone turned back to look at him. He sighed and looked Kokoro in the eye but didn't elaborate.

Kokoro was relieved when she felt his reiatsu quiet down considerably.

"Shirō-fukutaicho, in due course you will be required report to me and tell me everything about your past experiences with Kenji Kakeru. If this symbol is anything to go by we might have another organisation involved and we will need all the information we can gather. do you comprehend."

"Yes sir" Kokoro said feeling her strength return. Yamamoto nodded in approval before turning to face the room at large.

"And that goes for all of you. Any information with any association to the discoveries made must be reported immediately. We must also ready ourselves once more for war. The two vacant captaincies are a situation I will deal with however… Any vacancies under captain level must be addressed immediately" Kokoro noticed that the old man was speaking more towards Ukitake, who was the only Captain in the room who had no lieutenant by his side. Yamamoto continued without further adieu.

"On that note I will end with a quick reminder, the Shino academy excursions to the divisions will begin tomorrow so I expect all of you to put your best foot forwards. Remember it is not just about your divisions pride anymore, we need more strong recruits and we need them fast. I hereby end this meeting"

He banged his staff on the ground so loudly that many people jumped.

People began exiting into the main foyer muttering quietly.

Kokoro began to do up her shirt and her sash again. As she did she saw Hinamori still gazing in shock. She caught Kokoro's eyes and gave a fearful look.

"It's ok" Kokoro said with a small smile. Hinamori's features relaxed and returned Kokoro's kindness with a weak smile of her own. She walked over somewhat nervously.

"I'm Hinamori Momo of the fifth division" Hinamori bowed politely. "You must be the Shirō Kokoro everyone's been talking about. It's lovely to finally meet you in person"

"It's an honour to meet you too Hinamori-san" Kokoro returned the bow.

"Oh please you don't have to be so formal, Hinamori is fine" Hinamori giggled.

"Or bed wetter Momo." Came a voice from between the two girls.

Kokoro looked up but Hinamori looked down. Evidently she was so used to seeing a shorter person standing there; however there was nothing there except for Hitsugaya's feet. She looked up and nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh my goodness Shiro-chan! You're… so … tall…" she stared at her old childhood friend's face. He gave a grumpy scowl at her surprise.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya, Momo. Are you sure you're all right to be up and about?" though he sounded annoyed Kokoro couldn't see the vein throbbing in his temple.

"Yes I'm A-OK! Unohana-Taicho said so herself" Hinamori was smiling but it didn't convince Hitsugaya. He paused eyeing his friend's condition for himself.

Hinamori though up and about was still looking sickly. She'd lost a lot of weight and her muscles were nearly nonexistent. She looked quite tired, if the bags and dark circles under her reddened eyes were anything to go by.

"Just don't push yourself too hard alright" Despite his attempt to sound authoritative, his worry seeped through.

Kokoro's smile softened.

_Acts all tall and mighty, but in reality is a caring guy._

"I see you to are getting to know each other" Hitsugaya eyed her smile suspiciously.

"Yes el Capitano"Kokoro playfully saluted in a sing song way. She leaned upwards and smirked mischievously in his face as he blanched red. Hinamori burst into fits of giggles just as Matsumoto's voice wafted from across the room.

"Kokoro! Come here and stop world war three from happening won't you?"

"What now" Kokoro groaned as she, Hinamori and Hitsugaya walked to the other end of the room where the commotion was.

Kenpanchi and Byakuya were locked in a terrifying death stare match which was being cheered on by little Yachiru and watched in terror by everyone else.

"First day back and this already" she sighed and cleared her voice loudly. Neither Captain paid attention to her,

Hitsugaya smirked as he caught sight of Kokoro's exasperated expression

"It seems you have your work cut out for you"

"Shut up Toushiro"

Hitsugaya smirked as he analysed her face. She was wearing an extremely annoyed but cute pout.

Hinamori eyed her childhood friend sceptically from behind. It was extremely peculiar that Hitsugaya hadn't berated Kokoro for calling him by such a familiar name.

Noticing the girls' intrigue Matsumoto leaned and whispered in Hinamori's ear.

"Taicho _likes _her"

"eh?"

Hinamori looked at Matsumoto's mischievous face with astonishment, which quickly turned into realisation.

"Oh? OH!"

Matsumoto nodded. The two of them started giggling.

Meanwhile Hitsugaya had been watching Kokoro who was standing in front of the two men and folded her arms and started tapping her foot impatiently.

Byakuya sighed and exited the staring match. Kenpanchi turned to face Kokoro glaring.

"What do you want cat-face" he barked at her and lot of his spit flew in her direction.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's vulgar to spit on a lady's face" Kokoro flecked the saliva off her face in a haughty manner. Many people gasped at her daring and even her captain looked uncomfortable.

"What do you want to do about it? Fight me?" Kenpanchi looked at her up and down sizing her up. From what Kokoro could see, the man in front of her didn't think much of what he was in front of him.

"Sure you're a pretty girl cat-face." Kenpanchi leered "but you don't seem like the type of person who's ever seen a real fight. I bet I could break you like a twig"

"Oh really I'd like to see an ape like you try" Kokoro snarled back baring her teeth and for a split second Hitsugaya thought he'd heard a low feral growl. The muttering behind her back turned panicky now.

"That's enough!" Byakuya ordered sternly. Kokoro's face turned into a polite smile though her eyes were cold.

"Sorry Taicho, I forgot myself. And I am sorry to you too Kenpanchi Taicho" she bowed politely to Kenpanchi who was eyeing her with an odd look of curiosity.

"Come, we must get back to the barracks if we are to begin preparation for the excursions"

"Yes sir"

She followed her captain out of the room.

People kept bustling around them, talking and chatting about what they'd just seen.

Hitsugaya looked up at Kenpanchi who began to chuckle.

"Well what do you know? The little cat might have a little bit of beast in her"

"Appearances don't necessarily denote strength" Hitsugaya said firmly just as Kyoraku came up behind them.

"You should see her in the sparring arena" Kyoraku patted a hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder. "She packs quite a punch"

"You would know wouldn't you Uncle-Shun?" Matsumoto raised her eyebrows at her drinking buddy who laughed. "Where the hell did that nickname come from anyway?"

"We are cousins through marriage; my elder brother is married to Shirō Kazuya's cousin's daughter" Kyoraku explained matter of factly.

"And Kazuya is Kokoro's…?" Hitsugaya asked but Kyoraku finished for him.

"Adoptive Grandfather yes. He's also a very powerful shinigami. Now that Kokoro's grown up I wouldn't put it past him to fiercely defend his granddaughter's honour"

"I'd like to see that" Matsumoto chuckled eyeing her captain's look of sudden dread.

"I wonder what her Zanpakuto's like" Hinamori said thoughtfully.

"Well there's a way to find out" Said Kyoraku, a mischievous childish grin spreading over his face.

"You're not finding out anything until you finish your work" Came a stern voice.

"Oh my lovely Nanao-chan how delightful you look today" Kyoraku said jubilantly only to be hit on the back of the head with a paper fan.

"I look the same as always now we need to get back to work!"

_Some things never change_

Hitsugaya mused as he and the remaining captains and lieutenants watched as Nanao dragged Kyoraku against his will, out of the large wooden doors.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: let it soak**

The two days after the eventful Captain's and Lieutenants meeting, were quite hectic for the sixth division. It's newly grown up lady lieutenant Shirō Kokoro found herself quite busy helping to clean the division till it shone without one speck of dust and no papers cluttered the office.

The reason? The special all week long Spiritual Arts Academy excursion of the Gotei 13 divisions.

Though the Sixth division would usually be visited on the fourth day, in the afternoon following the fifth division, it had been moved forward since the third and ninth divisions were struggling due to their lack of captaincy. Yamamoto had been generous to them and arranged for those two squads to present their divisions last.

Now it was the third day, or as Captain Byakuya put it at breakfast, judgement day.

Unfortunately for Byakuya, jokes were never his forte so no one laughed. It was probably the reason that he was in a particularly foul mood as he and Kokoro stood out front of the sixth squad division sharing an umbrella in the torrential rain awaiting the arrival of a crowd of red and blue making their way under umbrellas of their own.

"Hi there!" Kokoro smiled and waved at the crowd of shivering wet students. "Follow us we'll begin introductions when we get inside!" She motioned to their teacher who nodded shepherding his students after them into the division's genkan*.

As they entered Byakuya ordered some division members to get towels which the student's wrapped around themselves gratefully.

Once they were all rugged up and warm they all turned to face the captain and lieutenant with a reverence that made the latter feel slightly embarrassed. But Kokoro cleared her throat and said as she had rehearsed.

"I am Shirō Kokoro Fukutaicho and this is Kuchiki Byakuya Taicho. Welcome to the sixth division." She gave the warmest smile she could muster, given her Captain's moody aura.

The students all muttered and some pointed at her and her captain.

She inhaled and all of them fell silent. Chuckling at their respect she gestured towards her captain who said plainly.

"In the sixth division it is required that you follow the rules laid down by the gotei 13. The disobeying of these rules is not tolerated here as this is a model division where we expect you to be prepared to work hard and work at your best at all times. Therefore slacking is not an option if you would like to be in this squad"

From her spot next to her captain Kokoro could see that there were a variety of responses to this strict statement. Many of the average students seemed quite terrified whilst the more thuggish or smart arse types seemed not to really care much for Byakuya's words.

The girls on the other hand were hanging onto Byakuya's every word with a slavish look on their faces that grossed out Kokoro to no end. They giggled as his eyes swept over their group as he addressed them all.

_Ah yes the fan club …still disturbing as ever _

"Shall we begin the tour?" Kokoro smiled hiding her repulsion and leading the students down the first corridor.

It was quite uneventful. Kokoro did most of the talking leading the students around the division whilst Byakuya tried his best to avoid the shameless stares of the girls behind him.

Kokoro grinned up at him cheekily as she showed the students their office. His glare darkened again just as many girls behind him "oo"ed and "Ahh"ed at his immaculately clean desk.

"It's just a desk" he muttered grumpily so that only Kokoro could hear. She snorted with laughter and his glare darkened.

"You're in a pleasant mood Taicho" she chuckled.

"I didn't get any sleep last night" his scowl darkened

"How come?"

"Just couldn't sleep"

"You and me both. Why don't you take a nap?"

Byakuya eyed her sceptically.

"Everyone has the afternoon off anyway" she shrugged.

"True…True…" he glanced in the direction of his quarters then to the group of girls ravishing him with their eyes and back to Kokoro.

"I'll see them off, whilst you _escape_" Kokoro said in a low undertone to her captain who nodded and turned. As he left Kokoro thought she'd seen him smile though she could've imagined it.

Thankfully their office was the last place they had to visit so they made their way to the entrance of the division. It was still raining.

The students groaned loudly but their teacher barked.

"Come on you lot! Get your umbrellas and move it! We're off to the seventh division now!"

"It was lovely having you today, I do hope we get to see some of you in the future" Kokoro said cheerfully looking at the students behind her as she opened the doors.

Many people gasped.

Kokoro turned to see in front of her only for her vision to come be blocked by a kimono clad chest.

She looked up and saw Hitsugaya Toushiro look down on her, his face just as surprised as her own. His hand was up as if he'd just been just about to knock on the door.

"Hi" he said looking down at her face.

"Hi" She flushed pink and looked quickly away. He was completely soaked. His kimono and captain's haori clung to his torso and his snowy white hair as water trickled down his neck and face.

"I forgot my umbrella" he smirked roguishly at her embarrassment, turquoise eyes glinting.

"I…I can tell" she turned to face the students all of which were looking at the newcomer in shock.

Her eyes roamed amused till they saw Byakuya's fan club all wide eyed and drooling at Hitsugaya like carnivores would over a piece of juicy meat. She felt a twinge of annoyance gurgle in the pit of her stomach, which she hid behind an award winning smile.

"I thought you were in such a hurry to go to the seventh division?"

The students and the teacher scrambled out in a rush, out into the rain.

She sighed stepping back to allow Hitsugaya inside before closing the door behind him.

"Did you just finish up the tour?" Hitsugaya asked as he sat on the edge of the genkan and took off his sandals.

"Yeah" Kokoro sighed. "If you need to speak to Taicho, he's in his quarters. But I warn you he's in a foul mood" she chucked him a dry towel that hadn't been used by the students.

"What happened?" his voice came out slightly muffled as he scrubbed furiously at his hair attempting to dry it.

"He tried to make a joke this morning but no one laughed AND he was fangirled today by the girls in the class"

_And so were you now that I think about it._

Kokoro scowled as she remembered the girl's looks of lust towards the soaked Hitsugaya who was now suppressing a chuckle.

His smirk widened as he stood up.

"I didn't come here to see Kuchiki, I came to see you"

"Eh? What for?" Kokoro spluttered in surprise.

"My squad's finished preparing for tomorrow" Hitsugaya shrugged "and I knew that you'd have the afternoon off, so I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing - if I'm not imposing" he trailed off as his face went pink.

"Oh no, it's not a problem" Kokoro looked down to the floor her face as pink as his. "Well then… why don't we go to my rooms I can fix us some lunch and we can chill there"

So they walked through the halls to a courtyard on either side of which were a horseshoe shaped balcony which met a long stone wall that marked the divisions' perimeter and closed off a small garden on which rain pelted down like rocks.

Kokoro walked to the left side and Hitsugaya followed. He could feel an angry reiatsu coming from the right balcony.

She led him inside. Being a lieutenant Kokoro's quarters was smaller than the captain's quarters, but the furniture had been arranged so that it appeared rather spacious.

On one side of the room was an entertainment system complete with surround sound speakers, a large flat screen television and a few game consoles, beside it stood a large ornate wooden wardrobe which had the carving of an ornate powerful tiger whilst on the other side a large book case and CD/DVD cabinet stood, its modernity contrasting with the traditional tatami floors. On the other side of the room there was an archway which seemed to give a glimpse of a small kitchen and a door which Hitsugaya presumed to lead to a bathroom. In the centre of the room was a large kotatsu with a thick blue futon.

"Make yourself at home oh sorry wait a moment I'll make some tea" Kokoro said slightly nervously as she opened a small cupboard and took out some cushions to sit on.

"Wait you don't have to-" Hitsugaya called out to her hurriedly but she'd already gone into the kitchen.

She sighed as she looked around the kitchen for the cups. Having very few friends Kokoro rarely ever privately entertained so she was quite nervous. What made her even more nervous was the fact that the one she was entertaining just so happened to be a captain. A really attractive captain.

Wait a minute did she just think …

Kokoro's hand stilled in mid air and the hot tea kept flowing till it spilled over the edge of the cup.

There was a loud crash as Kokoro yelped in pain.

Not only had she burnt her hand and dropped the cup, but she'd slipped on the spilt tea on the floor and hit her head on a door handle of one of the lower cabinets.

As she tried to sit up, her head feeling like it was going to split; Hitsugaya had rushed through to stand over the kitchen threshold.

"Careful…sharp…on floor" Kokoro was so disoriented and confused that she could barely string those words together.

"What happened?" Hitsugaya flash stepped to her side so as to avoid the cup fragments on the floor.

"I spilt…hot tea on my hand and onto the floor and then I slipped on it" Kokoro tried sitting up. Her vision was returning to its usual sharpness but she felt slightly nauseous.

Placing a secure hand on her back and one under her knees Hitsugaya picked Kokoro up. He received no form of protest. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his clavicle. Hitsugaya's grip tightened slightly as the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily upwards.

Carefully he carried her out of the kitchen where he came face to face with Byakuya Kuchiki who was standing in the doorway looking worried.

"May I enquire as to what you are doing in my Lieutenants quarters Hitsugaya-Taicho?" He eyed the white haired young man with a severity that he usually reserved for Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Toushiro's just helping me Taicho" Kokoro groaned in pain.

"So I see…" the aristocrat watched as Hitsugaya tactfully ignored him and looked just beyond his colleagues shoulders at the torrential rain.

"I'll send for a member of the fourth division to come. It may take a while given the weather"

"Thank you Taicho"

Byakuya left abruptly closing the door behind him with a snap. Hitsugaya stared at where the aristocrat had stood with amazement.

"Wow Kuchiki really is pissed off" he said as he gently placed Kokoro at the futatsu.

"You should've seen him earlier" Kokoro rolled her eyes at the door before wincing.

"Kokoro?" he sat down beside her, worry apparent in his tone.

"Hmm?" she gave a tiny nod to show that she was listening.

"Do you need anything" he smoothed a hand over her back soothingly.

"Ice for my hands…" She muttered. She could feel them begin to blister painfully.

"Here" He took both of her hands in his and slowly began to release his reiatsu.

Kokoro exhaled as a white blue icy aura wrapped around her hands. It soothed her burnt skin relieving it of the soreness and redness.

"Thank you" she heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Hitsugaya looked down at her face but then was sidetracked by her uniform where a dark patch from indicated the spot where some tea had spilt. He snapped his gaze to her hands.

_Matsumoto's right. My behaviour is completely shameful for someone of my station._

"So how were the students?" Hitsugaya said lightly concentrating hard on her hands.

"The usual" Kokoro replied casually "either terrified as mice, stuck up smart arses or so boy crazy that it's disturbing" She shuddered at the thought as Hitsugaya smirked.

"Which one of those were you when you were at the academy?"

"Me?" Kokoro's grimace turned into a soft smile "I was the smallest, youngest runt of the pack but, and I don't wanna toot my own horn, I wasn't such a scaredy cat"

"How so?" Hitsugaya asked.

"My Grandfather taught me a little martial arts before I entered the academy and I did know Uncle-Shun. Wow that makes me sound like a pampered princess doesn't it?" She gave a shaky laugh.

"Trust me you are far from a pampered princess" Hitsugaya felt his smirk grow into a true wide smile.

"I guess I could've ended up worse" she snorted. "How about you? What were you like as a student?"

"Me?" Hitsugaya chuckled again trying to remember those long ago days "A short as hell…smart arse."

"So not really different to how you are now huh?" Kokoro teased.

"Hey" He half reprimanded half laughed.

"Alright! Alright! So you're not short anymore, just a smart arse. Does that sound better?"

"Haha very funny"

Kokoro laughed. He looked into her eyes and a joyful sparkle seemed to twinkle brightly like starlight in the Lapis depths. He felt his irritation melt quickly.

_Knock! Knock!_

The two of them jumped apart.

"Who is it?" Kokoro asked sniffing the air nervously.

"It's us Milady" said a distinctly husky female voice.

"Erika?" Kokoro straightened up where she sat.

A woman slid the door open and a man followed her.

The woman was tall with jet black hair tied up in a high bun with a glittering black clip adorned with a glittering obsidian butterfly. Her skin was a rich dark coffee colour and her eyes were a deep brown. She wore a four layered kimono of a rich crimson colour with a black butterfly motif that matched her hairclip.

She gave a polite bow to Hitsugaya before turning to give a smile to Kokoro who stood up and hugged her.

"Welcome home milady" Erika said warmly, her voice rich with affection.

"It's good to be back Erika" Kokoro's eyes found a figure behind Erika. "Jun!"

The man named Jun was slightly shorter than Hitsugaya by only a couple of inches. He had short wavy reddish brown hair, except for a thin lock which had been braided that hung over his shoulder. He was wearing the standard Shinigami uniform and was carrying one of the fourth division's medical satchels over his shoulder. His grey eyes glinted brightly as he too hugged Kokoro much to Hitsugaya's annoyance.

Holding Kokoro at arm's length Jun examined her intensely.

"So you're a B-cup huh?" he was looking down at her cleavage eyebrows raised.

Kokoro's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Ah! Don't get me all wrong being a b-cup is fine! Its healthy!" Jun cowered as Kokoro smacked him behind his head hard.

"Baka!" she yelled "I come back after being kidnapped and the first thing you do is assess my boobs! At least do that once you've finished saying hello!"

But her frown was short lived. It turned quite quickly into a jubilant laugh as she hugged her old friend again.

_Ah it's good to know some people never change!_

Meanwhile Hitsugaya had stood up. The angry growls of Hyorinmaru were starting up again in his head. Try as hard as he might to keep his self control the room did suddenly drop a degree or two.

Jun seemed to notice the captain's irritation and flashed a wicked grin which Hitsugaya returned with cold narrowed eyes. Noticing where Jun was looking Kokoro instantly turned around.

"Oh sorry Toushiro…um… this is my personal maid Sazuki Erika" she gestured to Erika.

"It's an honour to meet you" she bowed. Hitsugaya reciprocated politely.

"And this is my long time friend and bodyguard Yoshida Junichi"

"Nice to officially meet you Hitsugaya-Taicho." Jun barely suppressed a snicker.

"Likewise" Hitsugaya tried to sound casual but it came out slightly bitter none the less.

Jun's smile faltered as he studied the Captain's jealous face to which Kokoro was oblivious too. He sighed.

"Kokoro why don't we go into the bathroom and check your injury in there?"

"Alright!"

Once the bathroom door was safely shut they both sat down on the bathmats on the floor. Very soon Jun began fussing over Kokoro's concussion at the back of her head.

"It's pretty big" He said holding up both his hands at the back of her head. They glowed a faint yellow as he released a healing kido over the lump. "But it won't leave any damage physically and mentally. It's almost as big as -"

"The time when I fell off that ladder in the library in our first year at the Shino Academy? Ah those were the days…" Kokoro mock sighed.

"Yes those were the days you were small and I gave you piggy back rides to the infirmary because your Kido backfired and sent you slamming into the wall behind you"

"It's getting better" Kokoro mumbled.

"What is better? Your concussion or the Kido?"

"Both!" Kokoro rolled her eyes. Jun smirked.

"Well I guess you _are_ training with Kuchiki-Taicho. How's it going with him?"

"He's alright most of the time but sometimes he gets in pretty foul moods like today"

Jun shifted to sit in front of her and began healing the burns on her hands.

"How you manage these accidents is now beyond me!" he shook his head. "How did you spill the tea?"

"I … got lost in thought and it spilled over" Kokoro said as casually as she could.

"What were you thinking of?" Jun gave an annoyingly knowing smirk.

"I don't remember" but her eyes betrayed her by glancing at the direction of the door.

Jun snickered.

"What?" Kokoro's eyes narrowed.

"I think I know what that thought was" he snorted

"Oh do you now?"

"Milady" Jun sighed in slight exasperation "Don't insult the intuition of a married man like me"

Kokoro saw an opening for a new conversation and went in straight away.

"Speaking of marriage how is your wife?"

"Akina's fine, but don't change the subject!" His jovialness was replaced by seriousness.

_Arggg he's good_

Kokoro huffed and pouted grumpily.

"Shirō Kokoro" he said strictly.

Kokoro's ears flattened. Jun rarely used her full name, let alone her first one, unless he was really serious.

"You are no longer a child anymore. You are a pretty, smart and pure young woman and you are very new to this adult world in terms of romantic and sexual experiences"

"What does my virginity have to do with the price of eggs?" Kokoro raised her eyebrows but Kenji's frown deepened considerably. He let go of her hands which had healed over nicely.

"It has everything to do with the situation at hand. You're innocence is a trait that many guys will find extremely appealing. You must be cautious about the way you act around them."

"Now you're insulting my intuition" she folded her arms crossly. "Do you think that I walk around trying to seduce anything male that walks the face of the earth?"

"I'm not trying to insult you. I'm trying to warn you. I'm your bodyguard but you're also like my little sister. I'm just worried that some stupid guy will try to hurt you."

Jun put both his hands on her shoulders. Kokoro looked into her friend's concerned face.

"I know you are" Kokoro felt herself smile. They leaned forwards and hugged.

"Thanks Jun"

"It's alright…By the way…" Jun said as they broke apart. "I know Hitsugaya Taicho is a good looking and smart guy but-"

"We're just friends" Kokoro cut across him blushing slightly pink at his suggestion.

"Even so be careful" Jun's eyes were severe again. "I know what it's like to be young and on his end of the spectrum. You think you're invincible and-"

"Toushiro is a person of honour" Kokoro snapped "He wouldn't do anything to hurt those who are _just_ his friends"

"It may not be intentional even if you are … _just his_ _friend_" Jun mimed quotation marks for his last words and looked to the door.

"You're never going to approve of any guy I choose are you?" Kokoro stood up and straightened her uniform

"I will approve… but only if they prove themselves worthy of you first" Jun also stood up.

"Do you think I am worthy enough?" Kokoro asked embarrassed.

"Of course! You are the only person, apart from my wife, who I believe to be worth more than all the stars in this galaxy"

Kokoro sighed.

"You may be married, but you still are a lady killer Jun"

He winked at her mischievously.

"Guilty as charged Milady"

"Jun wait" Kokoro grabbed her friend's hand placed on the door knob.

"Yes Milady?"

"I need you to reserve some things for me on the quiet from the history archives in the library..." she handed him a folded piece of paper. Jun unfolded it and looked it up and down.

"Are you going to explain why the sudden interest in history books?" He looked up from the list intrigued.

"You know that certain_ mark_ on my stomach?"

Jun nodded.

"And you do know about Aizen's escape?"

"Yes I heard a something about it from Unohana-taicho but not the specifics."

"Well apparently the accomplices were wearing cloaks with the same mark."

"Should you really be telling me this? I thought the meeting was confidential" Jun raised his eyebrows but Kokoro ignored him.

"When I showed everyone at the meeting three days ago Soutaicho said something very cryptic. He said 'just as I feared' when I told him about the kanji and he seemed quite, well, scared"

Jun did not say anything for a moment but eyed the list again his brows furrowed with a slight worry.

"Whatever this new enemy is, it must be exceptionally dangerous and terrifying to make someone of Captain Yamamoto's rank and experience troubled "  
>"that's what I thought." Kokoro nodded "but I don't think that it is new. He seemed to have some recognition of its existence"<p>

"So you think that it's an old enemy re-emerging."

"It's the only solid explanation there is. So do you think you can get me those books?"

"I can try" Jun sighed. Kokoro glared.

"Not a word of this to grandpa or to anyone else" she hissed as she turned the door handle.

"All done!" she said at the door.

She opened it. Hitsugaya was sitting there in an uncomfortable silence at the futatsu.

"What is it Toushiro do you need anything?" her eyes followed her friends gaze around the table where two men and two women sat.

Hitsugaya's lieutenant Matsumoto, was sitting next to Erika, Captain Kyouraku on her other side and an old man with bright hazel eyes, short wavy white hair and a short boxed beared dressed in a silver kimono.

He sat in silence, studying the white haired youth in front of him with a composed but stern curiosity, which Hitsugaya met with a steely defiance.

Kokoro gave an audible gulp. The both the old and young man turned their heads sharply in her direction. Kokoro felt her face heat up slightly.

"Hey Erika, Matsumoto, Uncle-shun…" Kokoro gulped as her eyes rested on the old man. "H-Hello Oji-sama…I see you've met my friend Toushiro…"

Somewhere behind her in the bathroom Jun began sniggering uncontrollably.

* * *

><p>AN: Uh oh! Toushiro meets the "in-laws". This is one moment I have been dying to write about for quite a while especially since I started designing the character of Kokoro's Grandfather Kazuya (the same old man from chapter 11). If any of you have ideas for what you want to see happen next in the fic feel free to post and I'll consider all of them plus its fun hearing from readers don't you agree.

Btw for the sake of general interest a note from wiki for those who'd like to know:

***Genkan** (玄関) are traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment, or building—something of a combination of a porch and a doormat. The primary function of _genkan_ is for the removal of shoes before entering the main part of the house or building. _Genkan_ are often recessed into the floor, to contain any dirt that is tracked in from the outside (as in a mud room). The tiled or concrete genkan floor is called tataki (三和土). [Wikipedia definition]


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Surprise! Surprise!

**_Recap of all that has been:_**_Kokoro (OC) and Hitsugaya have been "accidently" transformed into adults by their kidnapper Kenji Kakeru. Upon their return to soul society the pair is immediately confronted with the news that Sosuke Aizen has escaped from his prison cell with help from a secret organisation. It is now the third day since their return during which Kokoro has helped to lead a Shino Academy excursion, through 6th Division barracks/offices, AND had a little house hold accident caused by her growing attractions towards her friend, everyone's favourite (used to be cute midget but now good looking grown up), 10th squad captain. After getting her injuries seen to in the bathroom she comes out only to see that her adoptive grandfather/clan leader has met her new "friend" (plays overly dramatic music). What will happen next?_

"H-Hello Oji-sama…I see you've met my friend Toushiro…"

Somewhere behind her in the bathroom Jun began sniggering uncontrollably. Kokoro's elbow drew back fast and he gasped in pain.

"Shiro Kazuya-dono" he wheezed as he attempted to bow respectfully to the old man who nodded once in response.

"I'll go clean up the mess in the kitchen" smiling Erika got up and gracefully walked out.

"Let me help you" Matsumoto winked at Erika who giggled and the two of them stood up. Kokoro was just opening her mouth to stop them when Jun pushed down on her shoulders forcing her to sit down.

"I'll pick up the cup fragments. It would be a crime if any of you lovely ladies such as yourself gets cut, especially you Milady." He raised his eyebrows at a thoroughly irate Kokoro. "You've had one too many accidents today"

Kokoro scowled and her grandfather chuckled. Toushiro saw the elders eyes brighten with familial affection as they gazed at the young woman who was now composing herself in her seat.

There was a small pause as the scraping of china against the floor and muttering could be heard off in the kitchen. Finally Kazuya spoke.

"I see that you are well" he smiled

"Yes…well…Jun did a pretty good job at patching me up just now" She returned only half the smile.

She was so nervous around her grandfather, and the presence of a very tense Hitsugaya and a snickering Kyoraku did not help her nerves much.

"How are you?" she finally asked after a pause.

"I am well. I wanted to see how you were doing before Shunsui-kun and I go out for drinks later with your charming friend Matsumoto-san. "

"Oh… thank you" she barely suppressed a giggle as Hitsugaya bristled slightly from her other side.

Obviously this frivolous activity was not supposed to be on Matsumoto's schedule this evening. His serene mask cracked and a look of annoyance flashed across replacing it.

Kazuya seemed to notice this and swiftly his eyes surveyed the young man intently.

"Though I know most of the people here I have yet to have met you. I am Shirō Kazuya, and I know my granddaughter just mentioned your name but you must forgive me. I am an old chap and my ears are not what they used to be. What is your name young man?"

Hitsugaya started slightly in surprise but he almost instantly composed himself.

"I am Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro of squad ten." He said feeling some of his gut come back.

From his spot next to Hitsugaya, Kyoraku smiled. "Hitsugaya - Taicho was with Kokoro-chan throughout the recent kidnapping."

"I see…thank you for looking after my granddaughter" the older man bowed his head.

"It was no problem; if anything I'm the one who should be grateful. If it hadn't been for Kokoro I wouldn't be here" Hitsugaya looked at Kokoro the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in a smile as she looked down into her hands, face pink.

"I didn't do that much, you did most of the … heroics" she mumbled her face went slightly redder but then it suddenly disappeared and her head snapped up.

Her eyes narrowed at Kyoraku's mischievous smirk with suspicion.

"Why are you really here Uncle-Shun?"

"Do I really need an excuse to check up on a favourite niece?" he quickly replied.

"You're a captain. You could've sent for me to see you in your quarters unless … you've gone without Nanao's say so"

Kazuya chuckled.

"What? She hasn't come around has she?" Kyoraku quickly turned his head as if expecting to see Nanao standing there behind him holding something to hit him with. But she was for once not there.

"No I can't smell her or hear her for miles" Kokoro could barely contain a grin.

As Kyoraku breathed a sigh of relief Kokoro chanced a small smile and winked playfully at Hitsugaya who cottoned on. Kokoro could probably hear Nanao's distant voice from the sixth division's office calling for her captain.

He let loose a small smirk and the two youths turned away from each other holding in the jubilant giggles that threatened to betray their mischief.

Kazuya smiled as he watched this small exchange unfolded between his granddaughter and the young white haired captain. It had been long since he'd seen her looking so delighted and playful, and it seemed to him that this boy had been the cause of such a change. A boy who just happened to be the successor of his deceased son's old position in the Gotei 13.

He mused in his thoughts as a small silence went around the room and his eyes fell once again upon Hitsugaya as he assessed him.

_How strange fate is to bring two friends such as this together_

Then Hitsugaya and Kokoro caught each other's eyes again. Kokoro quickly averted them blushing slightly as did he but his turquoise eyes kept straying towards her.

Kazuya knew that kind of look all too well and a new thought occurred to him.

_"Friend" is a definite understatement. Pity I was hoping that it would be a while before this happened. But I guess this is how it must be for now._

He leaned over and whispered something in Kyoraku's ear that even Kokoro couldn't hear.

Then suddenly there was a loud clang from the kitchen.

Kokoro shot up and walked towards the kitchen door where she was stood and sighed.

"What's up?" Hitsugaya asked.

"You're lieutenant" Kokoro's eyes remained glued to the scene in front of her.

"What?" all three men behind her stood up and walked over to her.

"Wow…" Kyoraku looked up at the ceiling in wonder with Kazuya beside him, extremely amused. Hitsugaya just looked stunned.

"How the…" even from within, Hyorinmaru was completely confused.

The front door slid open and the angry voice of Nanao spoke as she spotted her captain's pink haori.

"There you are! Do you know how long I've been looking for … you?" she stopped and stared at the scene.

It was a sight to behold. Jun and Erika were standing at one end of the kitchen looking up at a deep cabinet from which a voluptuous behind was sticking out of.

"Umm…a little help please…" came Matsumoto's voice from within.

"Matstumoto!" Hitsugaya face palmed.

* * *

><p>Lol! trust Matsumoto to get herself stuck in a strange situation just when things are looking bad for her captain!<p>

Nyways this chappie was actually a little one shot crack i had made up when i just started writing Raging Hormones. I've noticed that the fic is becoming a bit too lovie dovie so decided to slot it in whenever i could get the chance.

Keep R&R

Toonwalla


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Party Buddies - Part 1**

Kokoro POV:

I sat quietly in the expensive horse drawn carriage. It bumped a little as the palomino horses cantered down the road, steered by a very austere driver in a black silk kimono.

I looked down into my lap where a large parcel wrapped in fancy red silk with a gold ribbon neatly tied in a bow and a card. All had met my grandmother's standards.

Ah my grandmother Shirō Sumiko, a real dragon lady if ever I saw one. Staunchly traditionalist, proper and dutiful to my grandfather everything a noblewoman should be. Unlike me, a rebellious, casual kid with a foul comparatively foul mouth… well foul by aristocratic standards. And my gift certainly did not meet those standards, no it didn't. Why? Because it was called "101 drinking games from around the world", a book from the human world whose subject matter greatly intrigued my uncle.

I sighed as I briefly looked up at her. Her grey hair was held up in a much more elaborate traditional hairstyle than my simple bun and she was wearing no make-up. Not that she needed any; she like my grandfather (who was sitting beside her quietly reading) had aged rather gracefully even for people from Soul Society.

I felt envious as I watched her shift in her seat quite comfortably in her ten layered kimono. I on the other hand was barely able to move an inch under nine layers. Yes we wear nine to ten layers, and you think the usual three layers a normal human wears in winter is constricting. Well trust me it's no picnic especially in the summer months.

Nine layers of heavy bright gold silk that supposedly matched the colour of my hair, which has been tied in such an unyielding bun that if I pull it any tighter the made up skin on my face will start to rip apart. I'm also wearing more make up than a geisha and that's saying something… a word I like to call Yuk!

Well it's only for one night, one stupid party night.

Yes a party. My Uncle Kyoraku Shunsui's birthday party in fact. Well the first of three at any rate.

Yes he holds three birthday parties. One for the aristocrats, one for the eighth squad and one for all the captains and lieutenants. All in this one week actually

I've been invited to this first one and the last one. At least at the captains/lieutenants party I'll be able to wear anything I want. But really it's going to be quite hectic

"Is something the matter with you?" came my grandmother's strict voice. I snapped up sitting straight again but I kept my eyes glued to the heap of silk in my lap.

"Well?" she insisted. She had taken out her fan and had put it in front of her face. We must have arrived at the Kyoraku mansion.

"It is nothing Grandmother" I replied mechanically. Her glare hardened. She clearly wasn't buying my act.

The carriage came to a stop and the doors opened. My grandparents both stepped out first, them being the leaders of my clan and I followed through the main gates of the mansion.

We were bowed to by two rows of guards on either side of a path through a large courtyard. At the end of it were white steps that led to the mansions front doors. Four people stood at the top of the steps, two greeters and two guests.

The two greeters I noticed were the Lord Kyoraku (Uncle Shunsui's older brother) and his wife, my cousin, Asami. I had not seen Lord Kyoraku for a long time and had almost forgotten just how similar he appeared to his younger brother. He was tall like Uncle Shun and yet more clean cut and astute with both his manner of dress and mannerisms.

"Welcome honorable Kazuya-sama, Sumiko-sama" He bowed to each of my grandparents in turn before turning to me his eyes widening slightly. From his side I heard Asami take a small sharp breath of surprise.

I stood there feeling slightly amused at their shocked faces and vaguely wondered which one of them was going to recover first. Surprisingly it was Asami who broke the silence.

"It is good to see you looking well Kokoro-sama. How time has flown." she said smiling. I smiled back, reciprocated as politely as I could whilst trying to contain a burst of laughter before following my grandparents into the fray of the party room.

Uncle Shunsui was at the far end of the room surrounded by women of many ages. How I was going to deliver my present to him I did not know so I decided to wait until there was a lul in the crowd.

_Time to go wallflower mode_

I mused inwardly as I watched the sake bottle next to him become emptier with each glass poured.

So I stood quietly against a wall and waited for about ten minutes. I kept my paper folding fan in front of my face quietly taking the time to observe the crowd around me.

Aside from my uncles group of unmarried (no wait I just saw a few frivolous snakes that were defiantly married) women, the groups looked very much the same. Same fake smiles, same old jokes, same masks.

"Not so different from hollows" I muttered aloud.

"Are you bored as well?"

I looked to my right. No one there. I looked to the left. Kuchiki Rukia was standing next to me wearing a lovely violet kimono that matched her large eyes which were also looking around the room with slight disgust.

"A little bit Rukia-sama" I sighed though more out of relief than boredom. At least there was one person who I could talk to in this room that I knew wouldn't judge me. "The piranhas around Uncle Shun are having a good feed."

Rukia looked around, saw the crowd of women ravaging said uncle and began giggling behind her fan.

"I'm serious" I started giggling as well "with a wall of women that large I cannot give him my present"

"nor can I" Rukia snorted behind her fan.

We stood there a while trying to think of new amusing metaphors to describe the other occupants of the room as they conversed oblivious to our existence.

"Did Taicho come too?" I finally asked as my companion's giggles subsided a little. Her smile faltered slightly as I said the word Taicho.

"Yes, Onii-sama is here too" she said in a very subdued tone.

"What is it Rukia?" I asked, dropping all formal speech, not that she would care anyway.

She looked around warily as if checking to see if anyone was paying attention to our spot. Apparently deciding that it was_ safe_ she drew slightly closer and said in a hushed tone.

"Ukitake - Taicho has offered me the position of fukutaicho of the thirteenth division"

"oh!" not the reply I was expecting at all "congratulations" I smiled at her and she grimaced.

"I know… but…" she looked through a gap in the group standing in front of us where Taicho was standing and greeting my grandparents with a low bow. I looked back at Rukia and her face was downcast.

"but…?" I pressed on. She paused taking a deep breath, as if about to dive from a cliff into the deep ocean.

"But I don't know how to tell Onii-sama" she finally exhaled in relief.

"Why I'm sure Taicho will be pleased that you've been offered a promotion"  
>"Will he really?"<p>

"Yes he will, especially if it's something that will make you happy. You are happy about being promoted aren't you?"

"Of course who wouldn't be" she said slightly flustered.

"Then there's nothing to worry about"

She looked up at me and gave the first true smile I had seen from her all evening. I felt myself smile too.

"So…" she was looking again at the sea of _piranhas_ around Uncle Shun "dinner is going to be announced soon, but we still haven't given Kyoraku-taicho our presents"

I shrugged. "If only they were a bunch of hollows" I sighed "we could cut them down with zanpakuto and get through in less than half a minute"

"They look enough like hollows to me" Rukia smirked.

"So what's our strategy Party buddy?" I said without thinking.

"Party Buddy?" Rukia looked at me in surprise.

"…sorry" I muttered but she smiled again and replied.

"our strategy is divide and conquer, party buddy"

And giggling the two of us charged forwards, straight through the crowd of women right in front of Uncle Shun who was surprised but delighted when we held in front of him two large birthday presents.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18: Party Buddies Part 2 - Two to Tango

"Rise and shine Taichou!"

Hitsugaya's eyes shot open. He had been enjoying a comfortable afternoon nap on the couch in the tenth squad office when someone had banged open the door. He closed his eyes and groaned before thumping the large cushion he'd been using as a cover, over his head.

"Taichou!" came the sing song voice again. Hitsugaya ignored it pretending to have fallen asleep again till…

"Oh Taichou if you want something to cover you, you should use something bigger like this"

"umgph" someone had pulled him up and was pressing him tightly between what felt like two giant watermelons with human skin.

"Mathsumotho" Hitsugaya gave a muffled yell before yanking his head out from the crevasse of suffocating death that was his lieutenant's bosom.

He could hear her chuckle amused as he choked and spluttered for much needed air.

"What do you want Matsumoto" he finally wheezed. He turned to look at her and was very surprised indeed.

Matsumoto wasn't wearing her usual uniform. Rather she had swapped it for a long sleeveless scarlet Crape Cheongsam with a Mandarin collar (that couldn't exactly hide her ample bosom) and plumb blossom pattern. Her long and luscious strawberry blond hair was stylishly messy and she was carrying a red folding fan that matched her dress and purse. A hanger dangled from her other hand on which a black garment bag covered another outfit.

"What's the occasion?" Hitsugaya's raised his eyebrows at the hanger trying not to imagine what was underneath it.

"Don't you remember?" she pouted before setting her purse and fan down on the coffee table. "It's Kyoraku's birthday party today; you know the one for the lieutenants and captains?"

"Oh right" Hitsugaya sat up and rubbed his eyes. He'd been having such nice dreams in his nap that he'd nearly forgotten. Nice dreams about a certain blond haired, cat eared young woman who was in his fantasy had been rubbing the sides of his temples in a very soothing manner and singing something in his ear. He sighed in disappointment as he looked at the windows. It was already dark.

A tug on the back of his head. He looked around. Matsumoto was attempting to style his snowy hair which was now more ruffled than ever after sleeping on it.

_I'm now an adult and you still like to treat me like a child._

He mused in his head whilst Matsumoto rambled onwards, her fingers deftly settling the hair back to its normal state.

"Kyoraku insisted on all of us wearing human clothes. Men wear tuxedoes and girls wear evening dresses. Since you weren't awake yet I chose your suit for you. Don't worry," she added as Hitsugaya opened his mouth to chastise her. God forbid she chose something embarrassing.

"I know you don't usually like dressing all fancy but today's a special occasion. And besides you'll want to look especially handsome if you want to sweep Kokoro-chan off her feet tonight if you catch my drift."

"I don't know what you're talking about" Hitsugaya stood up to escape the clutches of his buxom self proclaimed matchmaker lieutenant. He snatched up the hanger.

"Wait for me outside, I'll change in here" he told her as coldly as he could with his face all heated up. He turned his back to her as he stripped off his captain's haori.

Matsumoto smirked and using his shoulders as leverage whispered into his red ear.

"I helped Kokoro dress up tonight" she trilled softly "and I can tell you she's not wearing any bra beneath her dress"

Despite his attempt to feign indifference Hitsugaya's stance stiffened uncomfortably.

"Matsumoto" he growled but she skipped off like a delighted child.

"Just food for thought Taicho!" she winked as she shut the office door. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes as he began stripping of his shirt.

Tonight was going to be a tough night for his self control, if his lieutenant hadn't made a crack in it at any rate.

* * *

><p>"Welcome Kuchiki Taicho" An astute first division member addressed the aristocrat who was wearing a crisp black tailcoat with a white bowtie, shirt and grey waistcoat underneath.<p>

Byakuya nodded at the man and turned around from his spot at the first division's genkan. Kokoro was walking towards him. She was mostly covered by a large dark blue shawl that she had wrapped to cover most of her body, though he could see a peek of a long slit along the right side of her long satin black dress. Her hair had been tied in a French twist at the back of her head and she was wearing simple black stilettos on her feet. Even with the cat ears atop her head, no one in their right mind would question Kokoro's status or upbringing.

Byakuya held out a white gloved hand to her as she approached the edge of the genkan. She graciously accepted it and stepped up giving a small smile at the first squad member who flushed scarlet and spluttered with his eyes averted.

"The party is being held in the grand hall if you will just follow me sir… miss" he mumbled the last part.

Byakuya picked up his lieutenants arm, linking it in his in a gentlemanly fashion as they followed the first division member down several corridors before he stopped in front of a large door. He opened it took a step inside and to the side before announcing loudly

"Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Shirō of the sixth division"

The room was large and adorned lavishly with red, blue, black and white ornaments. Many of the squad captains and lieutenants were already there talking and mingling with each other. They all stopped and stared at the pair of aristocrats as they stepped into the room.

"Excuse me miss may I?" the first division member gestured towards Kokoro's shawl.

Kokoro gulped quietly before nodding. Slowly she pulled off the shawl. The sticky silence began again only this time Kokoro knew exactly what was strange this time.

She was wearing a long satin black dress. Whilst its halter neckline was not plunging it was completely backless and there was a long slit along her right leg that began rather high up on her thigh.

There were many wolf whistles throughout the male population of the party.

Feeling highly embarrassed Kokoro looked expectantly at her captain for help. He was staring at her too, though he had the skill and tact to keep his jaw shut when surprised.

_I knew I should have run it by him beforehand_

Kokoro thought as she turned back to the room at large and gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

"That's aristocracy for you! Always making a grand entrance!"

It was Renji. The ice suddenly broke as everyone laughed. They all separated back into their groups of laughing talking people.

"Thank god!" Kokoro sighed in relief her eyes roving around the room trying to decide which group to join. From what she could see and hear Kyoraku was arguing with Yamamoto about the style of clothing the birthday boy had decided upon. It was then she noticed that all the men, including Kenpanchi, were dressed in black tailcoats similar to her captains.

She felt a tingle up her spine. Someone, most likely behind her, was staring at her.

_Maybe I look too ridiculous in this dress after all_

She thought in dread as she looked at the other women in the room. All were wearing lovely evening wear that seemed extremely modest and charming, with the exception of Matsumoto.

_But then again with a voluptuous figure like that she can afford to show off a bit. In comparison I'm a straight little twig. What have I got to show?_

Kokoro sighed; the sensation of being watched was now beginning to irritate her. She turned around.

It was Hitsugaya. He was wearing too was wearing a black tailcoat and a small smirk. He struck an impressive figure as his tall form leaned languidly against a wall beside at an empty table, hands tucked inside his pant pockets. He straightened up as Kokoro approached.

"Nice dress" he said before Kokoro could even open her mouth.

"Thank you" She smiled shyly, blushing a bright red. "You look very…dashing yourself" inside her head she groaned at the stupid choice of words.

"Dashing?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow smirking.

"I know it's old fashioned" Kokoro laughed nervously before "oh" her fingers began fumbling with the slightly crooked white bowtie around his neck.

"And this is why I hate formal clothes" Hitsugaya sighed in exasperation.

"Yeah, well at least it's only for one night" She looked up and smiled at him. He looked down and felt his face heat up slightly.

From his height and angle he could see not only her bare back but also a little bit down the front of her dress. The curves of her young body were cheekily winking at him from beneath their sanctuary that was black satin.

"Thanks" he focused his attention on her face afraid that he might lose all sense of control if he looked down again.

"No problem" she smiled again.

Hitsugaya gulped.

Just what was wrong with him? He'd seen Matsumoto wear clothing that was double times as revealing as what Kokoro was wearing now for years and had felt nothing at all. But just a peak of bare skin on this girl in front of him was driving him insane.

Unbeknownst to either of them a slightly tipsy Matsumoto was beckoned to by Kyoraku who whispered something in her ear. She smiled beckoning Nanao to her who looked stern but then upon hearing out a quick whisper in her ear sighed and helped her tipsy friend hijack the large DJ stand set on a small stage which was standing on the far side of the room. A song began playing soft and slow.

Kokoro turned her head to the DJ willing herself not to burst into loud uncontrollable laughter. She shook her head giving a small chuckle before turning back to fixing his tie.

Hitsugaya paused, taking his time to examine her. Despite the simplicity of the task she had a look of intense concentration on her face. It was rather cute in a childish way.

"You tied up your hair" he stated drinking in her full appearance.

"There all done! What?" she suddenly looked up at him with sudden dread. Her hands were resting on his lapels.

"Uh…does it look alright? I know I don't usually dress like this. Actually I don't know whether I should have. Everyone else is wearing much simpler clothing and I-"

"Would you like to dance?" He cut across her rambling quietly. Hitsugaya was never one to take to a dance floor during a party but he wanted, no he needed an excuse to be physically close to her … before anyone could intervene.

Kokoro gulped. His eyes had that intense hungry look in them again, one that always sent a shiver of thrill down her spine. She gave a small nod. Her mouth had forgotten what it was supposed to be used for.

As Hitsugaya led Kokoro, he could see the head captain keeping a surreptitious eye on them from his seat. Ever since the day Hitsugaya visited Kokoro in her quarters the older generation had taken it upon themselves to interfere with many of Hitsugaya's attempts to get closer to the girl. They usually did a good job at keeping the two youths at _respectable _distances but they hadn't counted an event like this where social norms were more relaxed than when they were all on duty. They knew that under the circumstances Hitsugaya was at full liberty to press his advantage, and he certainly wasn't wasting the opportunity.

The old man's eyes hardened as Hitsugaya and Kokoro began dancing nice and slow. As the music continued he could see the young man's hand sink lower down her back very cautiously as if testing the waters. When they came within reach Yamamoto stuck out his cane with careful expertise and prodded the boy's hand.

Hitsugaya took advantage of the fact that Kokoro was checking her feet to glare at the old man. Yamamoto glared back with interest.

_No pulling any stunts here on my turf boy!_

The old face seemed to say.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and his hand slid up again to a more respectable position. Tactfully he steered Kokoro to another part of the dance floor.

"Shunsui" Yamamoto grabbed his old pupil by the tail of his coat as he passed by with a very drunk Matsumoto who was swaying like a ship at sea.

"Ah Yama-Ji you should dance too it will be fun I swear"

"I'm too old for such frivolous activities. You on the other hand are not!" the old man shook his head and then beckoned. Kyoraku leaned in and listened.

"Uh-huh…Mmm…Yeah I could do that? Sorry Rangiku-chan." He said graciously helping Matsumoto into a seat where she slurred "If whatever you're planning _hic! _doesn't work then you owe me another _hic!_ Drink after this _hic!_"

Kyoraku rushed quickly up to Hisagi (who was manning the DJ with Nanao) and quickly muttered something. They both looked rather perplexed but were soon fiddling with CDs bickering quietly as they examined many track lists before finally deciding on a bright red CD.

Meanwhile on the dance floor Kokoro and Hitsugaya had not said a word. They didn't have to; they obviously seemed to just enjoy each other's company if their smiling faces were anything to go by.

_It seems a bit unfair_

Kyoraku said as he made his way over to them.

_But his face will be priceless_

He tapped Hitsugaya on the shoulder. The young man turned in surprise and slight annoyance.

"May I cut in?" he said chuckling.

"Oh!" Kokoro looked between the two men nervously. "Uh…?" she glanced at Hitsugaya who was looking mutinous.

"It's your party" he clipped angrily. He scowled as he stalked off the floor in a huff, hands in pockets.

Kyoraku smiled widely, as more rhythmic music replaced slow mellow tunes they had been enjoying till now. He looked down at his nieces face. Kokoro looked slightly worried as she watched Hitsugaya leave the room. After a few moments she saw Hinamori exit as well. Kokoro felt a twinge of irritation as she saw the pink clad girl rush out looking worried and a little hopeful.

Hinamori had been incredibly clingy to Hitsugaya ever since that meeting a few weeks ago. She was always popping into his office to see her childhood friend, constantly eating lunch with him or taking him to visit their granny (who was overjoyed to see her Shiro-chan all grown up). This wouldn't have bothered Kokoro if the girls' visits weren't so conveniently timed to interrupt or stop her from talking to Hitsugaya.

"He'll be fine"

Kokoro snapped her attention back to her uncle. She paused, her cat ears twitching as she tried to figure out the style of the music.

"A tango?" she asked, an eyebrow rose.

"Correct" Kyoraku nodded impressed

"I see I've taught you well…at least musically. By the way thank you for the present"

"I figured you'd like it" Kokoro smirked knowingly.

"Yes it's very … _instructive. _Now shall we?" He suddenly pulled her in close.

People around them turned immediately stopping their activities.

"And this gentlemen is how you dance with a lady"

In the beginning it was a little bit awkward with Kyoraku leading completely. He was very careful not to handle Kokoro in any inappropriate way even though he knew she already trusted him. She knew that he would always see her as a child and that comforted her a lot. It helped her feel like the rapid transformation to adulthood wasn't as greater deal as many of the others seemed to think.

When she was younger Kokoro had only learned basic Latin ballroom dance techniques whereas her uncle was an expert with years of experience. Also she'd never danced a tango seeing as her dance tutor had refused to teach her, saying that the dance was too mature for her to learn at the time.

However what Kokoro lacked in experience she made up with improvisation and creativity.

Kyoraku had just spun her round the third time now and pulled her in, but Kokoro had had enough of being lead around. She grabbed the tie around his neck and sharply stepped back. It took two to tango after all.

The dance was accelerating towards its climax and Kyoraku grinned at Kokoro with a mischievous sparkle in his brown eyes.

_Oh no what's he going to do now_

She thought nervously as they circled each other carefully. Then with a flourish he spun Kokoro around with the speed of a bullet and swept her off her feet. Kokoro could see her head approach the ground. It was going to hit.

It stopped suddenly as a hand secured itself safely on her lower back holding her torso nearly perpendicular to the floor, her right leg raised in an angle upwards.

There was a loud applause as Kyoraku and Kokoro straightened up and both bowed, first to the crowd at large and then to each other.

"That was amazing!" Matsumoto was running up to Kokoro a delighted smile on her red face. She jump hugged Kokoro who grinned nervously as many other people crowded around them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Hitsugaya was in the men's bathroom splashing his face. He scowled as he looked into the mirror.<p>

Why? Why didn't anyone allow him one moment of peace?

The head Captain… The other captains and lieutenants… Hinamori…

She was standing just outside the bathroom door. He didn't need to sense her reiatsu, her anxiety radiated from her in waves. Anxiety and a selfish eagerness.

He sighed.

True he may be new to these sorts of emotions and feelings but he was still the same genius that he'd always been. Did she think that he wouldn't notice?

He could see how much Hinamori detested Kokoro, looked down on her and judged her. He saw the maliciousness disguised under the kind smiles whenever she had interrupted those small moments between them. He heard through all the subtext of her words but that wasn't the worst of it.

He remembered that morning Kokoro had come in to deliver some documents for him to sign. Hinamori was sitting on the couch trying to convince Matsumoto to get up and work. Kokoro had walked over to the desk and had asked very shyly whether he was going to the party or not. He'd stiffened as hope dawned in him. Was this what he thought it was?

He had paused trying to figure out how to say yes without sounding like a complete dribbling idiot when Hinamori answered for him.

"Yes he is. In fact _we're _going together"

Kokoro gave a very awkward smile. It wasn't like the cute shy embarrassment that Hitsugaya had become accustomed to seeing. It was the sink-backwards-into-a-wall-and-vanish sort of humiliation that came with rejection. She backed out of the room and closed the door. He had run to the door to explain but she'd already turned a corner out of sight.

Had it not been for the fact that Matsumoto had chosen that moment to finally wake up, Hitsugaya might have literally thrown Hinamori out of his sight.

He dried his face.

No. He would have to set things straight once and for all.

"Momo" he said exiting the room. She turned and smiled at him.

"Yes Shiro-chan!"

"Momo we need to talk."

* * *

><p>Shunsui Kyoraku's birthday party was still raging on inside the great hall of the first division. In an attempt to get away from the parties drunken population (which had been growing at an exponential rate) Kokoro was now sitting at a table with Unohana, Isane, Ukitake, Yamamoto, Nanao, Renji, Rukia and of course her captain Byakuya. All had been responsible drinkers that night and were now just simply watching the drunken displays with both amusement and irritation except for Isane and Kokoro.<p>

Isane was now questioning Kokoro on how noble life worked for a female aristocrat. She seemed quite enthralled when Kokoro revealed that both western and eastern dance basics were now taught to aristocrats from a young age.

"I never knew that it was a requirement of nobility!" she said in wonderment.

"All round perfection is the ultimate requirement of nobility" Kokoro sighed tiredly. "Especially if you're female"

"How so?" Renji asked. Kokoro spared her predecessor a look of what can only be described as exasperated yet amused.

"Because the perfect woman is the ultimate tool for moving up on the social ladder that's why" she stated it baldly, coldly.

Renji looked at the glass of Champaign that his replacement had in her hand. Most of it was gone. Renji wondered whether or not the alcohol was finally starting to affect her. It was only her first drink of the evening but none of the people at the table knew just what Kokoro's tolerance level was exactly. The tattoos on his eyebrows crinkled in concern as Kokoro drained her glass and poured herself a second.

At that same moment they saw Hinamori stride fast towards their table.

"Ah Hinamori-chan you're just in time for-" but Nanao never got to finish her sentence.

_KATHWACK!_

Kokoro closed her eyes as the slap struck the side of her face.

"You!" she growled in Kokoro's face.

She looked back at Hinamori in shock. The girl was hyperventilating heavily through tears and sobs.

"You ruined everything!"

"Hinamori what-" Kokoro said shakily.

"Don't act all innocent you little tart!" Hinamori shrieked "You and you're little sob stories. Just because you suffered a little bit and say it was like hell doesn't mean you have to lord it over others and use it to get what you want you little cat freak!"

Something in the already tense atmosphere snapped.

A deep rumbling sound reverberated in the silence.

Hinamori looked up at Kokoro but this time her anger faltered.

Kokoro was looking down on her. Her eyes were cold, her pupils now catlike slits. A sense of angry almost volcanic power radiated from Kokoro as she glared down at the distressed girl below. Finally she spoke.

"You talk big, but you know nothing of hell, kid!"

And with that Kokoro walked out of the room. People backed away from her as she stalked for her eyes were still glaring like a furious beast. They stared after her as _Clack! _the door shut.

Party time was definatly over.

* * *

><p>Dun Dun Dun! Time for the talk. haha just kidding about the dundundun thing! but on a serious note next chapter you will finally get to see Kokoro and her Zanpakuto in action against... well i'll let you see.<p>

Until then keep on R&R peeps!

P.S. sorry to the HitsuHina fans for making Hinamori all mean! i'm kinda a fan of the pairing too but you know what they say... conflict helps character development!


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Tiger VS Demon**

Hitsugaya stared at the wall opposite him. He'd followed Hinamori when she'd become upset and was standing just around the corner of a perpendicular corridor when he heard Hinamori yell.

"You ruined everything!"

He put his head in his hands when he heard her continue yelling at Kokoro.

Then…

"You talk big, but you know nothing of hell, kid!"

He shivered at the ferocity in her tones and backed away into the shadows.

He'd never before heard Kokoro sound so angry. It was powerful, full of the wrath and might of a predator.

_Snap!_

Kokoro had shut the door behind herself. He heard the clack of her stilettos on the wooden floor as she strode some way down the dark passage and slumped against the wall very close to his hiding spot.

Hitsugaya heard a beeping sound and saw a faint white blue glow on the wall opposite her as Kokoro got out her communicator and began dialling a number.

The door opened and closed again. Kokoro looked up her face wet with silent tears.

"Kokoro-chan" it was Nanao. She looked down at her concerned as Kokoro stood up and bowed to her respectfully.

"I'm so sorry Nanao for ruining the party; I know you put in a lot of work into making it a good one for Uncle Shun."

"Kokoro please-" but Kokoro flash stepped past her and out of sight.

After a brief pause, Nanao stiffened.

"Captain Yamamoto wants a word with you Captain Hitsugaya" she clipped. Hitsugaya groaned angrily.

_How does she do that?!_

* * *

><p>Kokoro walked on her own through the dark streets of soul society. She'd taken the long route between squads nine and eight in an attempt to avoid the fifth squad.<p>

She shivered in the very revealing black dress. She'd left her shawl behind.

_Why?_

She thought miserably as she passed the seventh division's gateway.

_Why can't something go right for me?_

Then suddenly it happened. The hairs on the back of Kokoro's neck stood on end, her tail (which was hidden beneath her dress) began to swish faster and harder and her ears stiffened. A cold chill of terror ran through her unpleasantly though she could not imagine what the cause of it was. She was alone but she was in a safe area right?

No not right.

Something was defiantly not right.

The dark silhouette of a hollow loomed in front of the full moon.

_Here we go!_

Kokoro sighed in exasperation as she knelt down and slid a hand up the slit in her dress. Carefully she unsheathed a Persian dagger and held it up in front of her.

It was very quick. A brief howl, a slash and a cry of pain as large droplets of crimson fell like dark cloudless rain under the white glow of the full moon. The hollow reared as its body disintegrated into particles of reiatsu.

Kokoro gazed at the last vestiges of its mask fluttering into the night with cold disgust.

"Pitiful" she muttered but she did not sheathe her zanpakuto. Something, or rather someone, was in the hiding in the shadows close by.

"Show yourself whoever you are!" she barked to the night at large.

_Tap tap tap!_

Somebody mockingly applauded from behind. Kokoro turned.

"You…" she whispered in shock.

* * *

><p>Hitsugaya was sitting in a chair in front of the captain commander, feeling embarrassed, foolish and childlike.<p>

He'd caused all this trouble; he didn't need the serious looks from all the other sober captains to tell him that.

"So" Yamamoto looked Hitsugaya up and down, much like a teacher lecturing his star pupil for unusually disappointing conduct.

"Explain yourself boy!"

Hitsugaya took a deep breath.

* * *

><p>Aizen stood behind Kokoro. He hadn't changed at all in appearance. His brown hair was still slicked back, his smiling face was still the Cheshire mask it had always been, covering up his apparent villainous insanity. He was wearing a simple black kimono with a black hooded cloak.<p>

He stopped his clapping and assessed the shocked girl in front of him with mild amusement.

"That was quite a performance as expected of a Lady of the Shirō clan" he said softly, glancing at her zanpakuto. "I can see why they picked you to replace Abarai-kun"

"Glad you think so" Kokoro narrowed her eyes warily. She gripped Torasenshi tighter in her hand.

Aizen chuckled. "You're afraid aren't you?"

"It doesn't matter if I am afraid, or not" Kokoro took a step back. "Why have you come back?"

"Just doing a favour for a mutual friend of ours" his smile widened. "You know, Kenji Kakeru"

Kokoro snarled. "I bet you two have been peas in a pod since the beginning. Why am I not surprised?" she held up her zanpakuto. "Why have you come back?"

"You seem like a classy intelligent young woman so I'll oblige" Aizen began to pace casually towards her. "It is really quite simple. I am here to give you something."

"Like what! A tracker? A disease?" Kokoro spat.

She followed his movements closely noticing with some dread.

_Where is his sword?_

"Perhaps I didn't phrase my statement correctly. Forgive me. It should actually be, I am here to finish what Kenji meant to do long ago"

Even without his sword Aizen was a deadly foe that she wouldn't have dreamed ever to cross. And now … now…

His brown eyes glinted oddly in the moonlight. Now that Kokoro looked at them closer she realised that they weren't the same eyes that she'd seen  
>once before. Their pupils were sharper slightly more vertical like a snake, and … was his skin paler than before? She'd thought that it was merely the moonlight saturating the colours but no. His skin had defiantly taken a deathly hue and he smelled… like a corpse.<p>

"What are you?" she stepped back in horror. His smile widened and his eyes flashed red.

As Kokoro blinked, he vanished from her sight.

"Kyūshū [Pounce] Torasenshi!"

Bright gold light surrounded Kokoro, lighting up the entire street.

Kokoro turned, her dress billowing around her. On her hands two golden tiger claw gloves glinted.

"Hmmm very fitting but it won't do you any good" Aizen said smugly.

He stepped aside quickly. Kokoro had quite literally pounced at him. As he'd spoken she'd crouched low and sprung forward with surprising agility and speed.

She swiped at him repeatedly. Aizen dodged her clawed hands lazily, openly smirking in her face.

His eyes flickered to the side and he blocked a well aimed high kick to his head.

* * *

><p>"Sir the signal!"<p>

"I know Kurotsuchi! Gotei thirteen assemble"

Many people groaned.

"_Sigh!_ Alright sober members- Captain Hitsugaya! Wait!"

* * *

><p>Kokoro snarled baring pearly white teeth and pulled back her hand for a sucker punch. She saw Aizen's hand rearing for a block. Deftly her hand went forward. He caught it but it was short lived when her foot quickly struck at his heel. He barely grimaced as her stiletto heel dug into his bare foot.<p>

He held her fast. They struggled against each other, each opponent keen on not letting the other overpower them.

However Aizen had underestimated his young adversary's ingenuity. The claws on the hand he'd caught were now longer than what they'd been before. Kokoro had needed to merely twitch her fingers before …

"ARRAHHHAAAAGAAAAH!"

Aizen roared in pain clutching his right eye with both hands and reeling back. Black liquid that Kokoro could only guess was blood, poured through his fingers and from his palms. His other eye was now glowing red violently, the pupil dilated in the excitement of the situation.

Kokoro began to run. She was terrified. She had no hope of defeating Aizen on her own. She wanted to run, to flee, and to hide from the terror that pursued her through the streets.

_Someone! Anyone! Help!_

Aizen appeared in front of her. She tried to shunpo but he blocked her. She growled in irritation as she tried to sweep him with her feet.

A flick of his finger and she fell to the floor bound by an unknown kido.

She struggled in pain and terror as Aizen knelt down beside her.

"Hel-" She began but he clamped a calm hand over her mouth. His eye was still bleeding. The black blood splattered over her face and body. She winced as the drops hit her face, burning wherever it touched. Swiftly his fingers tore away at the midriff of her dress.

Kokoro whimpered as his hand smoothed itself in a lopsided deformed version of a figure eight her stomach, fingering the brand that she bore with resentment.

"Hmmm" he assessed her like a bird of prey. In one swift motion Kokoro felt her hair free itself from the french twist. He leaned down to whisper softly in her ear. "Kenji was right, you do have beautiful hair"

Kokoro glared at him still trying to struggle, but his kido was too perfect. His index finger jabbed into the damaged scar tissue.

Her eyes widened and she gave a muffled scream as a horrific pain crawled slowly around the mark on her stomach like a slow but hot fire. There was a golden glow as Torasenshi screamed in equal pain inside her head and reverted back into its sealed state.

Kokoro's face was now wet with tears and sweat. She looked up at him pleadingly. Aizen watched her pained expression with indifference, even amusement and did not stop smirking till the process was complete a few moments later.

He took his hand off her mouth. She panted and gulped for air through heaving sobs. Even though she could feel the kido wear off she still didn't dare move.

He leaned back over her ear. She closed her eyes and turned away as he said softly.

"We know where you hid them"

Kokoro's eyes snapped open.

"What?" Kokoro breathed a new fear taking hold of her.

"We know where you hid your siblings, little princess" he leaned in closer his voice barely more than a whisper. "And the demon king is not happy with you. Do you know what bearing that brand means?"

He took her shocked look as a confirmation of his guess.

"It means you belong to the Greed division of the Dark Infinity. No matter how many hollows you slay, no matter which gotei 13 captain you answer to, no matter whose clan you are a part of you will always … always belong to me and the demon king!"

"I belong to no one!" Kokoro tried to sound defiant but she still trembled like a leaf.

"I'm sorry" he said looking down on her icily. "But your opinion does not count. He will go after them and he will not tolerate one of his subjects misbehaving. But I will give you an offer. Join me and you will have your revenge on those who destroyed your life."

"I would never join forces with the likes of you!"

"Pity… pity… such beauty and talent and it will now go all to waste"  
>Aizen sighed and his hand began once again to trace her stomach.<p>

Kokoro closed her eyes again wishing she could sink into nothingness. This had to be a bad dream it had to!

Aizen paused eyes shifting to see in his peripheral.

The sharp tip of a sword had suddenly appeared just millimetres from the back of his neck. He looked along the blade.

Through half closed eyes Kokoro saw the icy blue reiatsu and snowy white hair shine in the moonlight.

"Toushiro"

"Get away from her now or I'll kill you" Hitsugaya hissed. Hyorinmaru was in its released state and Kokoro could almost hear the ice dragon within the blade roaring with bloodthirst.

"Ah Hitsugaya this is a surprise and all grown up too. This is quite unexpected!" Aizen sounded quite pleased.

"Get away from her now!" Hitsugaya repeated himself, the temperature dropped suddenly and Kokoro could see dark clouds build up at an alarming rate.

Aizen looked at the clouds and stood up. Quickly he flash stepped away from Kokoro to a few feet away.

"Momo just wasn't enough for you" Hitsugaya growled advancing on his adversary with mounting anger.

"How is she? Recovered much?" Aizen smirked sarcastically. A dark rip seemed to appear behind where he stood.

Hitsugaya lunged. Hyorinmaru swung in a graceful arc and a shower of ice hurtled through the air towards Aizen who stepped backwards into the portal.

"We will meet again soon"

"Oh no you don't" Hitsugaya swung again and again as the dark hole became smaller and smaller.

"NO!" he yelled he gave a final swing and a massive ice dragon hurtled and hit the small three centimetre hole in time space. It froze for a split second before closing completely leaving a large dragon ice sculpture reaching high into the heavens.

Moments passed in silence. Hitsugaya panted and stared at the spot where the portal had just been.

_That wasn't Garganta so what was it?_

Kokoro sat up as Hitsugaya sheathed his sword. He looked back at her his glaring eyes slowly softening to his usual worried frown. She turned away from him, ashamed at the pitiful condition he'd found her in. She clutched her midriff to hide the horrible black brand which defiled her skin.

Something dark, warm and slightly heavy was paced around her shoulders gently. She pulled the tailcoat around her gratefully as Hitsugaya pulled her up to stand.

"Thank you" she whispered. His fingers shook slightly as they wove into her long hair and pulled her close.

"I should've gotten here sooner" he muttered into her crown.

Kokoro felt like hitting him. He was always so critical of himself when it came to situations like this. Yet now she couldn't bring herself to correct him not when she herself was so tired and shaken.

"I can't believe I almost lost you"

Kokoro looked into his eyes bewildered.

"Toushiro?" she breathed as he leaned in and very gently… kissed her.

* * *

><p>(first off sorrz to fans who might think Hitsugaya is OOC at the moment)<p>

yay! i finally got to write a fight scene (abliet a bit of a bad one but still a fight seen) . Yeah Kokoro's Zanpakuto is quite strange however i did some research and found out that The tiger claw gloves are in actual fact a type of ancient Asian clawed gauntlet. You can check out pics here.

. ?101287-Tiger-Claw gloves-(hong-kong)

they are actually called Wagh Nakh and here is a definition from wikipedia: _is a claw-like Indian weapon designed to fit over the knuckles or concealed under and against the palm. It consists of four or five curved blades affixed to a crossbar or glove, and is designed to slash through skin and muscle. It is believed to have been inspired by the armature of big cats, and the term Wagh nakh itself means tiger's claw in Hindi._

As you all could tell Kokoro's has a special ability where the claws can extend. it has a few other abilities which will be revealed in later chappies. I was wanting to find a good weapon that suited a nekomimi without being too cheesy and predictable.

Whilst you're still reading i'll clear a couple of things up. Aizen does **NOT** like Kokoro in any way he was only treating her the way he did to mess with her head (and with Hitsugaya's as well). Kokoro is **NOT** a mary sue, or at least i am trying to keep her from being one, and you will see her being less of a damsel in distress from now on. (god that is the only thing that has irritated me when i reread the previous chapters.)

nways keep R&R peoples!


	21. Chapter 21

Author's note:

Ok BIG IMPORTANT NOTICE HERE. READ THIS PLEASE BEFORE CONTINUING.

1. as some of you might have seen I have changed the rating of the story to M instead of T. this is because I intend on adding certain ahem "events" or what I have heard are called "lemons" *blushes profusely*. to the story line. don't worry these won't be too often so it won't turn into one of those stories where the pairing is screwing each other every bloody chapter. (trust me I also get irritated at those kinds of stories)

2. this chapter is _mostly_ a Lemon so warning before you read. if you don't like it don't read it and skip back to the chapter before, or the one after (if and when the next one is uploaded).

3. Please review! I have never written a full on Lemon like this (I was redder than a tomato as I wrote it. not kidding) so constructive"feedback" is welcomed. just no flames for no reason.

otherwise enjoy ;)

* * *

><strong>Chapter 21: Past the Point of no Return<strong>

_Recap__:_

_"I can't believe I almost lost you"_

_Kokoro looked into his eyes bewildered. _

_"Toushiro?" she breathed as he leaned in and very gently… kissed her._

Normal POV:

Kokoro's eyelids shut slowly as she let herself sink into Hitsugaya's embrace. It was surprisingly warm and intense for a person who was thought by so many to be cold and distant. She could feel both their heartbeats hammer against each other's ribcages. They were like two birds trying desperately to free themselves from their cages, as something seemed to spark between them, like a static shock.

Two sets of eyes fluttered open and they broke apart slowly. They were both breathing heavily.

"Sorry" Hitsugaya muttered stiffly. His hands began to drop from her upper arms but Kokoro's grip on his white shirt tightened.

"Don't be" She mumbled keeping her eyes on his bowtie. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Kokoro…"

"hmm?" she looked up to see his face. He looked down upon her face grave and yet anxious too. Then he heard the cries of several people coming closer.

His eyebrow twitched in dark annoyance. "Come with me"

He pulled away but kept one of his hands in hers as he tugged her away into a shunpo. She managed to keep up as a couple of more steps later they'd reached their destination. They were in front of a pair of doors that Kokoro did not recognise, but knew, if the sign of the number ten on the front gates was anything to go by, must have been Hitsugaya's quarters.

He slid open the door and dragged her inside before shutting them with a snap.

Kokoro followed him in a daze as he opened his bedroom door and they slid inside.

She was very surprised by what she saw. The few of the captain's quarters she had visited on occasion were usually cluttered, and in Captain Kuchiki's case had very expensive items all over the place. However Hitsugaya's room was very sparsely decorated. A futon lay neatly made in the centre and a low table that served as a desk stood against a wall besides a small television. The lamp upon it glowed dimly illuminating a single bookshelf and a simple wardrobe on the adjacent wall.

"I know it's not much" Hitsugaya mumbled. He never used to care about what people thought of his room mainly because barely anyone besides Matsumoto, Hinamori and occasionally Ukitake and Unohana had ever seen it. Now he wished he'd been a bit more attentive in his decorating.

"I like it"

She wasn't lying but he still gave her a slightly suspicious look as he undid his bowtie and his waist coat.

"I'm serious" she felt herself actually giggle "I like spaces like this I feel…freer…like I could fly" she opened her arms wide and spun slowly as if to prove her point.

When he'd decided to bring her back to his quarters, Hitsugaya had only planned on letting her sleep here until the morning, unimpeded by the traumatic interrogation of the head captain.

However, now she was here with him alone, smiling so happily as if the attack had never happened. He looked her up and down, at her sparkling eyes, her shiny hair and her full pink lips and he knew that there was nothing he could do. He leaned down, flinging his tie and waist coat to the side before catching her in a tight, zealous embrace.

She mewled into the kiss feeling his large strong hands trail up her back. They swept the jacket from her shoulders. It had barely landed on the floor when his fingers found the knot that remained of her halter top. With one swift movement the flimsy material slid down her torso.

He tore himself from her, holding her by the elbows. For a good long moment he stared at her. Kokoro flushed scarlet as with every sweep of her naked chest, the hunger in his eyes grew.

He wrapped his arms around her waist letting loose a small rumble. Boldly he nipped at the spot where jaw met neck before smothering her mouth again with his. Her slender hands gripped the sides of his shirt and a couple of the top buttons popped open as he slid his hands over her sides.

Up and down, down and up along her ribs. Her skin was so smooth under his calloused hands. He took her arms and wrapped them around his neck before un-buttoning his shirt. He tossed it to the side; his innate sense of orderliness seemed to have taken leave of him with his mind so drunk with desire.

Kokoro thought her legs would turn to jelly when he brought her naked torso against his own. He seemed to notice this and drove her up against the wall.

They detached from each other briefly as Hitsugaya leaned over her. He was now resting his elbows on either side of her face which was now inches from his own. She couldn't see his eyes for his bangs were covering them. Timidly she reached up and stroked them to the side. Turquoise eyes looked down on her slightly surprised before they closed gently.

Hitsugaya leaned in to her touch. He'd heard so many people say that Kokoro was a beast, a warrior at heart. But every moment he spent with her seemed to suggest otherwise. The Kokoro he'd come to know was shy, kind and gentle. Her warmth thawed his wintery disposition like a new spring breeze on the equinox.

He softly held her hand to his face and kissed her palm. His cold blue reiatsu began fluctuating wildly in the air, mingling with her soft gold.

Kokoro gasped as a cool hand pressed itself against the lower half of her ribcage. He pressed his lips against her neck, sucking in time with her pulse.

"Toushiro" she whimpered as his fingers crept up her breast, caressing the soft bud.

"Shhh" he hushed her gently before nibbling a spot on the base of her neck.

She blushed turning away from him. He wondered vaguely if he was doing it right. Then he looked down. Her hands were on his wrists stopping him from touching her chest.

He knew Kokoro was always so insecure about the smaller size of her boobs, especially when she was so often compared to Matsumoto, but she needn't have worried now. He pushed his hands gently forwards touching her ribs again. He kissed her neck through a lusty haze and felt her skin tingle under his touches. He marvelled for a moment. It was his touch that was doing this to her, _only_ his. He felt a prickle of warmth below his abdomen. A possessive desire washed over him blocking out all rational thought as he snaked his hands up to her breasts.

"I don't know…I've" she bit her lip to suppress another gasp he pinched her nipple. "I've …nnh… never done this before" she managed before groaning softly as he stroked the nerves.

"Nor have I" he kissed the spot on her neck lightly. There was a very prominent bruise there now. "You're not the only one who's nervous" he muttered cupping her breast in his hand. She was so soft, so smooth, and not so big that she was spilling out but just enough to fill his palm comfortably.

He gripped her sides and gently pressed her into the wall. He kissed her breastbone brushing her sweep of blond hair out of her eyes. "I understand. Tell me when to stop and I will. I promise"

His last word slurred slightly as his tongue flicked against her nipple. Kokoro's eyes rolled back as his tongue languidly caressed her skin. She clawed at the muscles on his back pulling him down towards her chest.

Emboldened by her reactions he took the bud in his mouth and sucked hard. Her skin tasted so good.

"Toushiro" she moaned loudly arching her back into his mouth as his other hand coaxed her other breast.

"…beautiful…"he muttered quietly. His hand slid down her body, around to her back to cup her backside, which was still covered in the remains of her dress.

He moved his mouth and bit down on her other breast. She cried out softly as his hands found the satin hanging flimsily over her hips. He sucked on her noisily as he tugged and the skirt tore easily along the slit. He pushed the material aside revealing a pair of simple black string panties.

Kokoro thought she saw his eyes blaze with a cold passionate fire before he growled pressing his hips against hers. She shifted nervously, the bones and skin causing wonderful friction.

"Shit" Hitsugaya hissed deeply burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"I-I" Kokoro whimpered in her cat ears flattening.

"I didn't mean to- AH!" she squealed as she felt something press against her core. She caught a glance of his large hand cupping her before he leaned down to kiss her wetly, openly.

"You're so warm" he breathed before smothering her moan as he slipped his hand beneath the top of her panties. She writhed against him as his long fingers slid between her soft folds.

He rubbed her slowly, gently feeling her moisten at his touch, and he finally found the confidence he'd been searching for all night. His fingers found a hole in the soft flesh and instinctively he buried one of them inside.

She sighed, slightly disoriented as she leaned her head back into the wall. His finger withdrew, but before she could compose herself, it slid in again, this time deeper.

The wave of pleasure assaulted her senses and she blindly leaned her head up to nibble on Hitsugaya's ear.

"Are you sure you want this?" She heard his voice, now husky and breathy.

"Do you want this?" she parried.

There was a pause before suddenly; his finger thrust hard inside her again. She moaned loudly as he pulled out, grinding his finger slowly against her walls.

"What I want is…" he inserted two fingers into her, stretching her. He began to pump slowly, teasingly. In and out, in and out. Her breath's came out sharply as he leaned into her ear.

"I want you to _scream_ my name. I want to bury myself in you till all that's left in your mind and body is just me. I want you to beg me never to stop. I want to screw you fucking senseless." he gritted his teeth as the tension in his groin hit a peak. He buried his fingers in her again roughly. She cried out his name and he felt his hips buck forwards of their own accord. He felt her shudder as, still covered in his pants, he brushed against her, mimicking the action his fingers were currently doing.

Kokoro had never heard him speak so brashly before. She shuddered a little as he looked down on her eyes a flame.

"…I'm…I…Toushiro…I don't…we…" she whispered quietly. He paused, worriedly looking down upon her. The familiar conflict between his brain and body started anew in his mind.

The sight of her bare skin… He had to give in to his desires or he'd explode…but the thought of scaring her in the process…but he wanted her so badly… still he couldn't bring himself to hurt her…no he wouldn't hurt her.

He slid his finger out of her, choosing instead to wrap his arms around her.

Kokoro seemed to know what was going on inside his head because she looked down as if ashamed of herself.

Hitsugaya gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Do you want me to stop?" his tone was gentle but his eyes were serious. Kokoro looked up at him. She knew that after this last hurdle there was no going back to the way they were before.

"I-I'm sorry. It's just I don't know what I'm doing. But I- I-" she felt tears prick at the corner's of her eyes.

Hitsugaya's insides churned uncomfortably at the sight of her watering eyes. Shit! He was screwing up badly. He knew it. He was such an idiot! He'd completely freaked her out now. He was about to pull away from her when he felt her grip on his arms tighten.

"I want to do this. I want" she looked up at him. Her eyes were still over bright but less scared. More determined "I want to be with you."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened as the six words echoed in his head. They filled his ears, his every thought. She wanted to be with him. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as a great big, if slightly goofy, smile spread over his face. Before she could question him he pulled her into another tight warm embrace.

She could feel his happiness his passionate kiss. It seeped into her body like an infection; however Kokoro didn't want to be cured.

She pressed her almost nude form against his again and shuddered as he growled possessively into her ear. Kokoro mewled as she felt her panties slide down. She shimmied her hips till they fell to her feet faintly aware of the tinkle of metal and the flapping of material. She paused, Hitsugaya smothering her neck in frenzy, and caught sight, over his shoulder, of his pants and boxers dropping to the ground around his ankles.

Her cheeks flushed with anticipation as they broke apart to look at each other in the half light. They didn't need to speak but they both knew…

From now on there was no turning back. They had passed the point of no return. They had jumped over a cliff with no safety harness, but they didn't care. They'd taken the jump together and at that moment that was all that mattered to them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: The Truth Comes Forth **

"You moron's better have a good reason for calling us here at this time of night" Kurotsuchi Mayuri scowled as he entered the secret area of the Research and development area. He waited for the head captain, Captain Unohana, Captain Kyoraku, Captain Byakuya and Captain Ukitake to enter.

"I do" Akon deadpanned taking a loud puff from his cigarette.

"And?" Yamamoto growled.

"Well…" the horned researcher now looked slightly nervous as not just the old man but also the nobleman next to him glowered. "We can safely say that Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Shirō have certainly gone beyond certain…boundaries… tonight"

He pulled up live footage on a gigantic screen. They saw from an aerial view (probably a camera installed in the ceiling light) the pair of naked young adults tangled in the sheets together.

Ukitake looked away from his friend and sighed.

"I always knew Toushiro was impulsive at times…but this…" he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It certainly goes beyond what anybody expected of him" Byakuya's eyes narrowed.

Kyoraku took a swig of an almost empty sake bottle, just to take the edge off the shock.

"You can't exactly blame them?" Mayuri shrugged. "I mean Kakeru did pump them full of aphrodisiacs so-"

"He what?!" Yamamoto snapped.

Now Kyoraku laughed.

"You mean to tell us" he snorted. "That Kakeru kidnapped Hitsugaya go put him into heat! He's a young man! His libido doesn't need any extra boost"

"I don't know whether we should be laughing just yet Shunsui" Ukitake rubbed his chin worriedly "Don't forget Kakeru also gave Kokoro the aphrodisiac. He obviously had his own plans for the both of them"

This put a stop to Kyoraku's laughter at once and he held his face in his hands.

"Oh shit! You're right! Argh! Kazuma will skin me alive" he groaned loudly.

"Once again Kurotsuchi you've kept us _very_ well informed" Byakuya didn't even bother to hide the sarcastic wrath. Had he or the other's had known he would've taken more measures to make sure that the pair of lovers were kept as apart as possible.

"You never asked" the scientist shrugged.

"You mean to say that you didn't think this wasn't important!" Yamamoto yelled.

There was a tiny groan from the screen and they all stopped in their tracks.

"Was that you?" Ukitake looked at Kyoraku who still was silently chastising himself. His friend shook his head.

There was a shifting in the screen and they all turned to watch as Hitsugaya stirred from his sleep.

* * *

><p>Hitsugaya opened his eyes and blinked. The moonlight from the window above him was low but still strong and cold making the skin beneath his chin seem silvery and luminous. He lifted his head to look up. He was now under blankets of his futon naked, on top of someone else.<p>

His eyes caught the digits on the alarm clock.

"Good morning" he smiled warmly facing upwards.

Kokoro's cheeks were flushed a lovely shade of rose as she softly smiled down at him. Her skin glowed and her hair was mussed up wonderfully, like a mass of golden silk ribbons.

She yawned sleepily and he chuckled pulling her close to him again. She smelled wonderful, like apples and bread on a warm morning.

"Good morning" she purred feeling his legs tangle themselves with hers as he kissed her clavicle, feather light.

"So now what happens?" he rested his ear on her chest, listening to her heartbeat. He felt it quicken as she pondered his question.

"What do you mean? Do you regret…" Kokoro trailed off. After all they'd been through… all for naught?

"My only regret is that I'd not met you sooner" Hitsugaya kissed her the spot over her heart.

He felt her chest vibrate slightly as she giggled.

"What? I'm serious" He looked up scowling grumpily at her and her giggles intensified.

"I know" she sighed. She still smiled as she brought a hand to play with his hair. "It's just…You're ears…"

"What about them?" he lifted himself up briefly so that his face hovered above hers.

"They're so red. It's cute" she giggled again. Hitsugaya tried to give his characteristic scowl but it was proving to be very difficult, especially when he was feeling so content with his lot in life.

He sighed silencing her giggles with a long deep kiss. He could feel her as she entwined her fingers in his hair. Briefly he was reminded of the first kiss he'd had with her. He felt himself smile into the kiss as memories of the past two months flew across his mind, ending with recollections of just a few hours ago.

Heat…passion…the pleasured cries of his name from her lips...

Intense yearning washed over him again and he shifted over her.

"Haven't you had enough of me already" she blushed feeling his length press against her inner thigh.

"No" Hitsugaya hissed in satisfaction but then suddenly he winced. He jerked backwards clutching his shoulder.

"Toushiro? What's wrong?" Kokoro worriedly touched the hand over his shoulder.

"God damn that Aizen" he growled through gritted teeth as he rolled off her.

"Aizen…" Kokoro's eyes widened when she saw the scar on his shoulder. She sat bolt upright and looked down at her stomach.

"Ah" she cried out in horror. She'd completely forgotten about the attack. The events of the night before had thrown it completely out of her mind.

Now she looked down at her stomach. The red burnt brand on her that had been there for twenty years was now pitch black and looked more like a grotesque tattoo.

Aizen's words echoed in her mind

_"We know where you hid your siblings, little princess. And the demon king is not happy with you. Do you know what bearing that brand means? It means you belong to the Greed division of the Dark Infinity. No matter how many hollows you slay, no matter which gotei 13 captain you answer to, no matter whose clan you are a part of you will always … always belong to me and the demon king!_"

Hitsugaya took deep breaths as the pain began to subside. He caught sight of her panicked face, saw her fists tighten into balls and felt the blankets shift as her legs moved into a readied position. Hitsugaya had fought battles for a long time and knew a runner when he saw one.

He tensed his body and pounced pinning her to the floor before she could even think of twitching her toes.

"Toushi-mphh!" she half cried as his hand covered her mouth to silence her.

"What did _he_ say?" he narrowed his eyes down at her.

Kokoro stared up at him through fear stricken eyes. How could he have known? Hitsugaya took a deep breath to steady himself.

"What did Aizen say?"

She shut her eyes and shook her head.

"Kokoro"

He tried to say as soothingly as he could but she kept shaking her head.

"You don't have to tell me everything just yet" he removed his hand from her mouth and stroked the sides of her face. "Just tell me enough so I understand."

She looked up at him. He was looking down at her with worried eyes.

"You wouldn't understand…" she whispered."If I told you…It would ruin everything, everything I've tried to-" she stopped short as if she'd said too much.

"Kokoro please…let me help you"

"No!" she cried out and a tear escaped her. "If you do you'll…I'll only drag you into a bigger mess"

"It's a bit too late for that" he stroked her hair out of her face.

She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath.

"I need to leave soul society"

"Then I'll come with you"

"NO! You can't!"

"Why not?!"

"Because…once you know…I'll lose you…"

"…No…you won't"

There was a long silence. Hitsugaya kept stroking his fingers through her hair.

"I had a sister."

He stopped short and stared down at Kokoro wide eyed. She wasn't sobbing but tears were falling silently as she spoke in a quiet murmur.

"I had a twin sister, a mother… a father… a baby brother ... a big brother…"

Hitsugaya turned around onto his side and wrapped his arms around Kokoro. She barely noticed, continuing to speak in that same small voice.

"My sister and I were playing tag together... she lost her ribbon in a breeze…it caught on a branch away from where we were playing. I was the better climber so I told her I would go get it and to stay where she was. The ribbon was white so it wasn't difficult to find in the branches. When I did I heard a noise…someone was screaming in pain… I thought if I could find the person I could help them but…"

"Kenji caught you instead?"

She nodded.

"He pressed a cloth over my face, whatever it was it smelled really sweet and it knocked me out. When I woke up I was in a cell …I screamed until someone came for me…they took me to a room. Kenji was there waiting for me. He strapped me into this device; it had strange cords which he connected to my body…he turned it on…"

Something twisted uncomfortably in Hitsugaya's gut. He felt her body begin to tremble and tightened his hold on her.

"Whatever it was he'd strapped me to, had transformed me into… what I am now. Kenji was pleased. When it was over I was taken back to my cell…and I waited…no one came for me again for a while…they pushed meals in through a chute but that was all. Eventually they took me out again, hooked me back up to the machine and tried again. When it was over they took me back. They continued doing this for a while…"

Hitsugaya felt his stomach drop at her pause. He could almost see Kokoro, small and helpless despite her catlike form; hear her screams of pain as Kenji would grin psychotically from the sidelines.

"That monster" he growled through gritted teeth into her hair.

"I wasn't the only one." She shut her eyes "Others weren't so lucky. Many died. Mostly from the experiments, others just lost the will to live and wasted away…every month you would hear researchers collecting mounds of corpses to send to the incinerator…I can still remember the smell." she shuddered. "No wonder the more monstrous of us were always so bloodthirsty"

"How did you escape?" Hitsugaya breathed, though part of his brain was so horrified and protested profusely at the thought of hearing more.

"Through sheer dumb luck…" Kokoro rested her head absently stroking the small faint scars that riddled his torso. "They were running another test on me, this time in the med bay to test my vitals. I overheard a scientist showing his colleague a new drug he'd invented. It was a kind of poison that mimicked death without actually killing you. They were going to give it to their…troops…"

Hitsugaya stiffened at once.

"Troops…who did they fight for?"

"I don't know…" Kokoro clenched her hand into a fist. "I'm sorry but I really don't know"

"It's ok" Hitsugaya murmured into her brow. "So you'd overheard the scientists talking about this drug…what happened next?" He stroked her hair gently.

"As soon as their backs were turned I took the syringe and injected myself. Just as I fell to the ground one of the other experiments in the room…they'd prodded him really hard in a spot where he was very sensitive. He just…snapped…went totally berserk and started smashing and destroying everything in sight. He destroyed the cabinet from which I'd stolen the drug, so no one knew that a sample was missing. Like I said, it was sheer dumb luck. When I woke up I was in the incinerator room. There were two big men who were in charge of dumping the corpses into this large furnace to burn away all evidence. I managed to get away from them by climbing all the way up the chimney. Once I was out I scaled the roof, jumped into a tree and just ran for it. I don't know how but I found my way onto the forest of Ojii-sama's estate."

Hitsugaya cradled her in his arms, rocking back and forth as Kokoro began to heave massive sobs.

"I was so scared" she sniffed "It had hurt so much…I thought…Every day I thought I would die. I didn't know where I was or where my home was. My cell was always so dark and cold and there was barely a night I couldn't hear someone screaming. I was found by Ojii-sama and Uncle Shunsui I was so relieved…and when I joined the gotei thirteen I was so happy…I felt like I was becoming stronger every day until…"

She buried herself into his chest.

"I was still in the academy... we were on our first soul burial exercise in the world of the living. We travelled on foot until we successfully reached the pass and I realised that it looked familiar. Then I saw it. A tree, the one my sister and I used to climb everyday so we could look over the valley, the same one my sister had lost her ribbon in. I knew it was the same one because we'd carved our names into it at the base and also because it was taller than the other trees; we used to be able to see the village from it. I climbed up to the top…"

Hitsugaya held his breath. He had a nasty feeling about what was to come.

"The valley … my home…was burning"

She shut her eyes tight feeling his arms hold her closer than ever.

"The others began evacuating from the area. I just stood there and watched as the forest burned. Then…I heard her. My sister…she was in the fire. I didn't know how I did it but I ran in and got her and my little brother out. I couldn't find my parents or my older brother and I didn't have time. I got special permission from the teachers and the head captain for me to take them to a Shrine in Enoshima. The head priest had a grown up son and he and his wife had always wanted kids, but could not conceive so head priest convinced them to adopt my sister and brother. The day before they came to pick the two of them up a member of the Kido Corps came and erased their memories and sealed their reiatsu."

"They don't remember you?"

"…no…and now…if I don't find them… if I let Aizen get to them…they'll be gone…" the words came out dead and cold. Hitsugaya broke away and looked down on her. His eyes widened.

Her face was completely blank. There was no tears nor sparkle in her eyes, no blush in her cheeks. She didn't even blink as she simply stared at his chest.

He'd seen that look before. He'd seen it on Hinamori's face…as she lay in a pool of her own blood…dying.

Her eyes flickered up to his and the illusion faded.

"Oh god…"she sniffed as she forced a weak teary smile "telling you my life story and crying on you just after what we did…what must you think of me?" she pulled up the sheets to hide her face.

Hitsugaya smiled softly remembering how she'd done the exact same thing back at Kenji's facility two months ago.

"I think…that you are one of the bravest people I've ever met"

"Really?"

"Yes…"

"Hmm…" She looked down at her naked body eyebrows crinkled in a small frown.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain? Did I hurt you?" Kokoro felt her head hit the mattress as Hitsugaya suddenly loomed over her.

Her blush deepened as she covered herself up, more out of shock than anything. He looked incredibly worried.

She was about to answer his question when in spite of herself she yawned. Hitsugaya smirked feeling himself relax considerably. He lowered himself down on top of her resting his cheek against her clavicle.

"Go to sleep" he murmured softly, feeling her fingers stroking his hair.

"Will you be there when I wake up?"

"What makes you think I won't?" he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"It's just that…it feels like my time with you is like…I'm dreaming…and I'm afraid that I'll suddenly wake up…and…none of this will be real" her blush deepened and her cat ears flattened.

"If this is a dream then I sure don't want to wake up any time soon" Hitsugaya could feel his eyelids begin to droop. He felt her sigh.

"What?" he pouted his eyes closed.

"Nothing" Kokoro smile softly as she closed her eyes. "Thank you Toushiro"

He heard her breathing quickly change to slow and steady. He cracked open an eye. She was fast asleep, her eyelids twitching and her lips slightly parted.

"Sweet dreams …Kokoro" he mumbled.

* * *

><p>Ukitake was now sitting by the wall his head in his hands. He'd almost had an attack upon the first mention of the incineration process.<p>

"Children" he whispered horrified "they did…that…to children"

Kyoraku sat beside him and rubbed his shoulder consolingly. Though a powerful captain, Ukitake had a gentle and warm heart. They could only imagine how hearing that story must've affected him

Byakuya's stony mask was slightly cracked as he clenched his fists. Yamamoto watched him for a moment feeling the reiatsu fluctuate slightly in the air.

"Remarkable" he muttered.

"Head Captain?" Unohana frowned.

Yamamoto pointed to the screen.

There in those sheets Unohana didn't see a rukon boy or an aristocrat, just a young man and a woman just happy to be in each other's arms.

She watched as Hitsugaya rolled over so that his body was draped across Kokoro's like a dead weight. She saw the soft smile cross the girls face.

No drug could fake that smile.

"Remarkable indeed" she muttered.

"So now what?" Mayuri asked very irritated with the mushy mood.

Everyone turned to glare at him but he just shrugged. "I'm just asking-"

"What we do Kurotsuchi" Yamamoto rumbled "Is turn off that blasted camera and give those children some privacy while we do our jobs!"

* * *

><p>Wow it's been a long time since I updated this one. I've kinda had writers block for my bleach and spirited away fics. updates may be slow but please put up with me and thanks for everyone who has liked or faved this fic.<p>

Keep r&ring for more.

L8R


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: The death of us**

*Spoiler alert for the newest manga arc otherwise read on*

She was drifting over the surface of a large tropical pond on an oversized lily pad, surrounded by dense jungle foliage and a variety of exotic blue flowers. In front of her another oversized lily pad with a diameter bigger than three meters floated on the surface of the water.

Kokoro's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of a female figure standing on the other lily pad. She was taller than her by about a head, with gleaming olive skin, and light amber catlike eyes with three jet black stripes under each one. To match her facial markings she also had jet black stripes on the skin on her back that extend down along her shapely legs which were covered by a pair of lazuli blue harem pants. Upon her torso she wore a short golden breast plate that barely covered her buxom bosom and on her arms were gold armor that extended to her fingers making the tips look like beastly claws. Like Kokoro she also had striped cat ears and tail but hers were golden with black stripes not golden with brown.

They were currently stiff, the tip of the tail the only thing moving as the amber eyes assessed the blonde girl across from them.

"So you told him?" the dark tiger woman said in a low voice.

"I did Torasenshi" Kokoro nodded. "Was I wrong to do so?"

"You are free to do what you want in regards to your personal life…" Torasenshi sighed, shaking her head as she folded her arms across her.

"But?" Kokoro rolled her eyes. There was always a "but" or "however" or even the occasional "hnnn well…" whenever she talked with her Zanpakuto spirit.

Torasenshi raised her eyebrows at her master, sensing her irritation.

"But are you sure it is wise to trust so soon?"

Kokoro opened her mouth to answer but shut it quickly. She pondered the question for a moment.

The woman was always so calculating to the point of annoyance sometimes, but Kokoro had to admit this time she had a point, albeit a feeble one.

She looked up and locked eyes with Torasenshi whose frown deepened.

"I see…" she muttered quietly "Very well…but I hope you know what you're doing?"

Kokoro nodded and the world around her dissolved into blackness.

* * *

><p>Kokoro purred contentedly as she opened her eyes. The white sheets were warm and the turquoise pillow beneath her head, severely indented in several spots.<p>

"Hmm….Toushiro what time is it?" she mumbled turning over. The spot beside her was empty. She read the clock someway away.

"half past one?"

She frowned twitching her cat ears around until they picked up the sound of running water.

_He must be in the shower_

She smirked, remembering how barely a month ago she'd woken up to the exact same sound, or at least something similar to it. Her ears twitched again as she caught the soft groans.

She got up cautiously and immediately made her way towards the sound, which was through the door and down the tiny corridor of his Captains Quarters. She did not care that she was still naked. Somehow she always felt more comfortable in the nude than she did in clothes, especially when it came down to pants or skirts. How she hated confining her tail.

Finally she reached the door at the end. The groans were loud enough now for her to hear it was Hitsugaya. He sounded exhausted and in pain.

"Toushiro" she knocked on the door. "Toushiro it's me. Are you ok?"  
>"I-I'm fine" Hitsugaya grunted but then he cried out again. There was a thump from within followed by a long sigh.<p>

"Actually…" He grumbled "could you come in?"

"…ok…" Kokoro gulped nervously before slowly opening the door. She was in a large bathroom at the end of which was a shower stall and separate bathtub. It was the steaming bath tub that the now naked Hitsugaya was in or at least half in.

His torso was slumped head first over the edge of the tub while his legs were splayed behind him on the floor.

"C-Can you help me up?" he grunted.

Kokoro quickly made her way over to him noticing that he was leaning heavily on the left side of his body, where the large scar was.

She ducked beneath his right side, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she helped him stand to his feet.

He was surprised that she could actually manage his weight, considering how much taller he was then her now.

Clumsily she helped him into the bath, carefully trying to stop him sliding and tripping. Eventually she had to step into the tub with him to lower him safely to the floor.

Once he was safely seated he sighed in relief

"Thanks" he opened his eyes.

"No problem" Kokoro was kneeling in the water in between his legs. She caught his eye and blushed deeply before shifting her legs into a crouching position.

Deftly his devilish hands grabbed her waist and pulled her body flush against his.

She felt his hands snake down to her hips and pull them close to his so that she could feel him against her abdomen.

"Toushiro are you sure you want to-"

"Do you want me to stop?" the question was caring enough but she could see the smoulder behind the eyes that plainly told her he wasn't letting her off any time soon.

"I-I don't- maybe -Toushiro" she groaned trying to stop her eyes rolling back in her head as he snaked his mouth over her neck.

"Do you want me to stop? Yes or no?" He ground his hips against hers again and she sighed.

"Yes"

He looked up at her face. She was still rather flushed but also he noticed rather worn out and tired. He relaxed his grip on her hips and allowed her to pull away from him slightly.

"What's wrong?" he reached out to stroke her wet hair away from her face.

"I-it's…it's nothing. Just a bit embarrassed" she mumbled avoiding his eye.

"Why?" he frowned worriedly. Had he done something wrong? Had he hurt her by accident?

"I…" she bit her lip "I …It's my first time…I just thought I would've been a bit better … Sorry" Her cat ears flattened to the side of her head as she held tight to herself. The water was warm and soothing against her aching limbs. Her thighs especially seemed relieved as she rubbed them down.

"Don't apologise" He muttered sliding his fingers through her wet hair. "I should've been a bit more considerate about your wellbeing."

"You were. I was just…uh…enjoying myself too much…" she trailed off her blush deepening.

"Really?"

"Uh…yeah… you were so confident and natural"

"Was I?"

She looked up at him and was surprised to see that he too was blushing, his eyes widened in surprise. He caught her eye and looked away from her.

"You weren't the only one who was… scared of screwing up" he shifted uncomfortably.

Kokoro smiled softly.

"What?" Hitsugaya grumbled.

"Nothing. It's just…it's nice to know that we are on the same page" she leant over and kissed him softly.

Hitsugaya stiffened for a moment but soon smiled into her mouth. It seemed it was worth breaking his ego once in a while, especially if he got rewarded like this.

He held her to him again even when they broke apart, but this time he felt pretty content to just hold her there and enjoy her company. He sighed in satisfaction as he heard Kokoro begin to hum a tune.

Surprisingly it was one he recognised. A song from the human world. But it was an old one, not one of the recent pop songs. A song from twenty years or more back, though it still had not lost any of its charm. He closed his eyes feeling her breath ghost across his ear as she sang close to his ear.

"Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile even though it's breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by. If you smile through your fear and sorrow. Smile and maybe tomorrow, you'll see the sun come shining through. For you. Light up your face with gladness. Hide every trace of sadness. Although a tear, may be ever so near. That's the time you must keep on trying. Smile what's the use of crying. You'll find that life is still worth wile. If you just smile."

There was a silence, in which the two of them only breathed, feeling intently as their hearts began to thump in time with each other's in a calm steady rhythm.

"Why'd you stop?" Hitsugaya muttered, sounding a little put out.

"It's the end of the song" Kokoro mumbled "You…you don't mind me singing?"

"Should I?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"A lot of people in…my clan…usually tell me to shut up and sit still" she admitted her face turning sour.

"They're just jealous" Hitsugaya snorted derisively "I bet none of them can sing to save their lives"

Kokoro giggled. "You sound just like Uncle Shun. He keeps telling me to shut them up once and for all and sing Sakura Sakura at the next cherry blossom party"

"hmm…Uncle Shun?" Hitsugaya looked confused for a moment. "Oh right Kyoraku" then suddenly he stiffened.

Kokoro broke away to look as he hit his palm to his forehead.

"Shit!" he hissed.

"What? Oh!" Kokoro's face split into a look of horror. "Oh gods!"

"Exactly!" Hitsugaya groaned "Damn we are so screwed."

"Literally and figuratively." Kokoro gulped.

Hitsugaya sighed as he ran a hand through his hair "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. You're a captain and I'm a lieutenant" Kokoro squeaked "Do you even think we'll be allowed to be…y'know…together"

"I don't know" He sighed. "I don't want to stop…this"

"This…as in us or this as in the …sex" the word came out so small that Hitsugaya had to strain his ears.

He smirked. "Would I sound greedy if I said I wanted both?"

Kokoro blushed but she still looked pretty shaken.

Hitsugaya put a hand to her cheek and she took a deep breath.

"We'll work something out" he said calmly.

"I hope so" She murmured but then froze, eyes wide.

Hitsugaya had seen it too.

A hell butterfly had flown in through the open bathroom window and was fluttering gently down towards them.

Kokoro held out her wet palm and it landed silently in it as the deep male voice of the first squad's lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe issued from it.

"Captain Hitsugaya of Squad 10, Lieutenant Shiro of squad six, Head Captain Yamamoto has requested to see you both at Squad 1 barracks ASAP for an emergency meeting"

"Emergency meeting?" Kokoro and Hitsugaya blinked as the butterfly took off again to flutter out the window.

They looked at each other for a moment before scrambling out of the bath tub.

* * *

><p>Hitsugaya and Kokoro arrived at Squad 1 barracks half an hour after the hell butterfly appeared. They would've appeared sooner, however Kokoro needed to go back to her quarters to retrieve a clean uniform. They also had to be careful to avoid the eyes of the sixth and tenth squad shinigami, who were busy talking to each other in shameless whispers. Kokoro didn't need her keen hearing to know that the news of hers and Hitsugaya's rather private affairs was spreading fast throughout the squads<p>

They both arrived outside the meeting room, Kokoro once again looking very sheepish and Hitsugaya looking very uncomfortable, when a voice called out from behind.

"Yo! Toushiro!"

They both jumped and spun around to see Rukia and Renji striding towards them with two teenagers, a boy and a girl between them both dressed in simple white kimonos.

Renji looked the same as ever, except he now wore a new maroon bandana over his forehead to cover his tattoos. His captain's haori was slightly tattered towards the hem and his arms were heavily bandaged, as if he'd been in a fight.

Rukia too had arms that were bandaged as was her neck and chest beneath her uniform. Her hair was now cropped in a rough black bob and she had a gauze patch on the cheek beneath one of her violet eyes.

The strange girl was around a similar height as Kokoro if only a couple of inches taller, and curvier. She had fluorescent yellow dyed hair cut in a very short symmetrical bob with one jet black un-dyed bang. Her eyes were a light brown but had been made up with eyeliner reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian style eye make-up.

The boy on the other hand looked remarkably familiar. He had spiky carrot orange hair and amber eyes. He was smirking at Hitsugaya as he caught the white haired captain's widening eye.

"Kurosaki? What are you doing here? And who's that?" Hitsugaya eyed the girl beside Ichigo who huffed.

"I'm Rumi."

"So you two got called for the meeting too huh?" Sneakily Renji chanced a glance at his successor's legs, which she was holding closer together than normal to stand upright, as though it were her hips that were hurting her.

_So it is true then. They really did hook up._

He frowned slightly as he caught Hitsugaya's suspicious eyes which quickly turned into a possessive glare. Renji raised both his hands slightly in token of peace which Rukia noticed.

"Whatever let's just get inside already" She winced slightly as she spoke rubbing her injured cheek.

Kokoro nodded and opened the sliding door. One by one they stepped inside the meeting room where all the other captains were standing. Kokoro noticed that there were no longer gaps for the third and ninth squad captains anymore. In their place two men stood silently.

One was tall with wavy blonde hair, with a strand falling across his face, and purple eyes that surveyed the newcomers with something akin to lazy intrigue. He wore the standard uniform save the undershirt had frills along the collars which stuck out the black hakama shirt.

The other man had a youngish face but had silver grey hair that stood up in a messy way atop his head. His uniform was standard but sleeveless, exposing large muscled arms that were now folded to match his scowl. The only other accessories he wore were a metallic belt, a pair of black fingerless gloves and a couple of piercings on his eyebrows and ears. He frowned at Renji and Hitsugaya as they silently went to stand in their respective spots, the latter quickly squeezing Kokoro's hand consolingly before doing so.

Kokoro gulped as both the grey haired man and the blonde man turned to examine her face and quickly she followed Rukia to kneel beside Matsumoto who gave her a tiny wink. Kokoro gave a nervous smile before glancing at Rukia.

"Congratulations" she whispered as she spotted the squad 13 lieutenants badge on the raven heads arm.

"Thanks" Rukia mouthed smiling slightly.

"Kensei? Rose? You're both back?" Ichigo was gaping at the blonde and grey haired strangers with shock as they simply nodded at him not saying a word.

"Uh what do we do?" Rumi whispered to Ichigo just as the Head Captain cleared his throat.

"Kurosaki Ichigo and…"

"Rumi, Watanabe Rumi" Ichigo said ignoring Rumi's scowl at the use of her surname.

"Watanabe Rumi" Yamamoto repeated. "I understand you are connected to Kurosaki Ichigo"

"We were friends since we were kids…sir…" Rumi folded her arms as everyone turned their eyes on her. Seconds passed and Kokoro could see a vein in the girl's forehead begin to throb.

Finally she exploded at Ichigo. "Seriously Berry-tan. I know you can see ghosts and whatever but HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO GET YOURSELF INVOLVED IN THIS SHIT!"

"It's not like I ask for it to happen y'know! And don't call me Berry-tan!" he yelled as several of the captains snickered.

"Would you rather have me call you an imbecilic baka?" she snapped grabbing Ichigo by the scruff of his kimono.

"Why you- Hang on why are we even yelling?" nonetheless Ichigo had grabbed her by the scruff too and was yelling.

"I don't know! You started it!" Rumi snarled.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too"

_Trust Ichigo to be friends with the one girl that is louder than him._

Renji sweat dropped as many people tried clearing their throats.

"Enough!" Yamamoto yelled. The two teenagers shrank back instantly as he leaned towards them. "Now I want you two youngsters…to tell me exactly what happened"

"Don't even bother asking what I'm doing here because I really have no clue." Rumi put both her hands up in surrender.

Ichigo scowled folding his arms as the old man turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I don't know about Rumi but it kind of went like this…"

* * *

><p>"I'm home" an orange haired teenager banged through the door of his house.<p>

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan!"

Ichigo looked up as Yuzu peeked around the corner. She was in her usual cute pink hoody and pink skirt. She looked positively radiant as she rushed towards her brother and tugged him by the arm.

"Whoa! Yuzu. Hold on a moment" Ichigo threw off his shoes and allowed himself to be dragged forwards into the living room.

"ACK! AH! "Rukia! Renji?" Ichigo pointed at the couch where a petite raven haired girl was leaning over the coffee table pouring over a map with a red haired man with tattoos over his body. The girl was in a simple light blue summer dress and the man was in a yellow T-shirt with dark jeans and sneakers.

They both looked up at Ichigo as he spluttered.

"Oh hey Ichigo" Rukia waved. Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath and walked over to the two of them.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked as Renji straightened up. He turned towards Yuzu.

"I don't mean to be rude, but we need to talk with Ichigo in private. You don't mind do you?"

Yuzu just smiled and nodded. "It's alright. I was going to go into the kitchen just now to cook. Beef curry. You're both free to stay for dinner?"

"Of course! It sounds delicious. Thank you Yuzu" Rukia smiled as the young girl happily skipped off to the kitchen.

Rukia then gave Ichigo a pointed look and he rolled his eyes.

"Come on then" he groaned heading for the stairs.

They climbed up and entered Ichigo's room.

"Wow. Nothing's changed" Renji muttered looking around.

"Just take a seat" Ichigo scowled as he collapsed into his desk chair.

He sighed watching as Renji sat on the bed and Rukia took a spare seat next to him at the desk. Ichigo had recently taken to holding exam preparations with his friends so he'd always kept an extra chair in his room. But it seemed exams would be the least of his worries now.

"So what's happened?" he leaned back folding his arms. Rukia and Renji exchanged troubled glances.

_Ok something's definitely very wrong_

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"Aizen appeared in soul society" Renji said through gritted teeth.

"WHAT?!" Ichigo almost fell out of his chair. Rukia nodded.

"Yes. Kyoraku Taicho was having a party and Kokoro, nii-sama's new lieutenant; left early, alone. Aizen took advantage of that and attacked her in the streets between squads nine and eight."

"So she's been kidnapped …again?" Ichigo raised his eyebrows. He barely knew her but this Kokoro girl really was turning out to be a magnet for trouble.

"If only it were that simple" Renji grumbled.

"You mean she's on his-"

"No!" Rukia called out quickly "I-I mean" She mumbled under Ichigo's stern gaze.

"What happened?" he sighed again.

Rukia looked at Renji who averted his eyes as if trying not to laugh. "Captain Hitsugaya managed to save her from Aizen at the last minute"

"Oh…And…?"

"Well…y'know Captain Hitsugaya has a… thing for Kokoro-san" Renji rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Uh… "

Rukia's eyebrow twitched with annoyance as Ichigo tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy. Finally after a few more seconds she snapped.

"GOD Ichigo you're so naïve sometimes!"

"What?!" Ichigo cried out angrily "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Baka! Don't you remember what happened between the two at the motel?"

"Yeah I do but…oh!" Ichigo's face suddenly dawned with comprehension, before turning red. "Wait you don't mean-"

Renji nodded smirking "Hitsugaya and Kokoro hooked up after he saved her"

"Wow seriously!" Ichigo's eyes bulged out of his sockets. "Who'd have thought?"

"I know right?"

At this they both began laughing, not noticing the throbbing vein in Rukia's temple.

"Stop laughing you idiots! This is serious!" she yelled whacking the two of them sharply on the head.

"Aizen's back and from the information we've gathered, he might be working with the same people that kidnapped Hitsugaya taicho and Kokoro-san"

The two guys stopped laughing at once.

"What?"

"Think about it guys. Kokoro-san was kidnapped by a rogue researcher with ties in the Gotei 13. And we all know that back then Aizen was more than capable of secretly using the resources for his own means. What if the hollows weren't just his only allies?"

A very sticky silence ensued.

Ichigo was about to open his mouth as a mans voice whispered through his bedroom door.

"Ichigo are you in there?"

"Dad?" Ichigo walked to the door and opened it to come face to face with his Dad. The older man's face was unusually grim.

"Ichigo there's someone who wants to talk to you"

"Uh…ok…Who?" Ichigo said stiffly. Something was definatly wrong with his dad. For one thing he'd knocked on the door like a normal person, and two he was talking seriously.

Isshin stepped aside to reveal a man in his late twenties. He was rather lean and very tall, as Ichigo's forehead only reached his chin (even though the carrot top was now 5'11" in height). His eyes were a dark blue colour and his hair raven black with a subtle blue gleam. He was wearing a long brown trench coat over a white shirt and black pants with dark socks underneath.

He bowed to Ichigo.

"Detective Haruko Takeshi from the Enoshima Criminal Investigation Beureau" his voice was deep and measured and his accent was very formal.

_Kinda like_ _Byakuya_

Ichigo noted in his head as he bowed back respectfully.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…Oh and these are my friends from school" Ichigo quickly added as Renji and Rukia shuffled nervously behind him.

"Abarai Renji" Renji bowed gruffly to the man.

"Kuckiki Rukia, it is nice to meet you" Rukia's bow was more refined and ladylike as she put on her very girlish voice, like she always did when meeting a new human.

"And it's nice to meet you too. It's not too often I am greeted by such polite young ladies" Takeshi smiled back making Rukia blush profusely. Behind his back Renji scowled moodily.

Takeshi turned back to Ichigo and his face turned serious "I'm very sorry to interrupt you and you're friends hanging out time Kurosaki-san, but I'm going to need you to come with me to the Karakura police station right now"

"Eh? My son's in trouble with the law?!" Isshin dramatically exclaimed before taking out a hanky and pretending to cry into it "My son! How could you do this to m-"

"I haven't done anything wrong you stupid geezer!" Ichigo yelled angrily flinging his heavy school backpack at his dad's face. The older man skid across the floor.

"Oww…talk about heavy…" he grunted rubbing his back as Ichigo glared down at him.

Takeshi chuckled amusedly making Ichigo stop in his tracks.

Crap he'd just hit his dad in front of a criminal detective. He scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Uh… sorry about that…my dad he…" but Takeshi shook his head.

"It's quite alright, every family has their quirks. Besides you need not worry. You're not in trouble, we just need some help for our investigation."

"Investigation?"

"I'll explain once we get to the station. If you feel more comfortable you can bring you're friends along, but they'll have to wait outside while you're being questioned."

"…uh ok. Guys?" Ichigo looked at Rukia and Renji who nodded

"It's fine with us" Renji folded his arms.

Takeshi smiled. "Good. I have my car I can drive us there"

* * *

><p>The drive to the police station was very…awkward…<p>

For one thing Takeshi seemed to be very happy go lucky, and yet at the same time Renji, Rukia and Ichigo couldn't help but feel a weird vibe from him, though none of them could really pinpoint what it was about him that made them feel like that.

Ichigo sighed in relief as he saw the Karakura police station roll up beside them.

"Ok so let's get this over with" he grumbled as they all stepped out.

Takeshi led them through various corridors, passing many police officers in the process many of whom stared suspiciously at the three teens, especially Renji and Ichigo for their hair.

Eventually they came to a small lounge like room with old blue plush chairs.

"The chief of Karakura police was kind enough to lend us this old common room for us to wait in." Takeshi smiled "There is a vending machine around the corner next to the unisex toilet if you need anything. So make yourselves comfortable while I go and find the chief"

Ichigo nodded as the older man walked out the room.

Rukia flipped out a cellphone with a purple Chappy phone chain attached.

"What are you doing?" Renji asked as he dropped into a chair and settled himself comfortably.

"Just messaging Ukitake Taicho to inform him of what's going on" Rukia said as she furiously typed away at her phone buttons.

Ichigo was about to sit down when the sound of footsteps reached his ears. He turned and saw a girl in his school's uniform, minus the jacket or the ribbon, running towards him.

Even with the uniform on she gave off a very tough punk air. He watched intrigued as the fluorescent bob with one jet black un-dyed bang bounced as she strutted her stuff, brown eyes examining her surroundings with a suspicious alertness.

Despite the punk attitude she looked…very familiar…

Ichigo watched as she reached him but not before tripping over her own feet. He quickly caught her and helped her up noticing that she was wearing short black punk boots instead of ordinary school shoes.

"Thanks man. God this dump has such bad floors, a guy could seriously hurt himself on them" She huffed straightening herself up and brushing the dust off her uniform

"Yeah…" Ichigo watched her for a moment trying to remember where he'd seen her before. A memory of kids playing in a school yard wafted over his mind's eye.

"Rumi?"

The girl looked up at him oddly, taking in his appearance. As soon as she saw his hair however confused face split into a wide smile.

"Ichigo hey!" she quickly grabbed him in a brief hug.

"Oh my god man it's been years! How've you been?"

"Pretty good."

_Wow her bone crushing hugs have not changed!_

Ichigo winced as she let him go.

"So what are you doing here?" he grinned.

Rumi shrugged nonchalantly "dunno. Some wierdos from the police station came by my apartment to take me here. Said they wanted to ask me a few questions?"

"Same here" Ichigo put his hands in his pockets. "Hang on you said you're apartment? So you're living alone now?"

"Yep" she popped the p in bored fashion "Just moved in last week. It's great! It's really nice and quiet. Not like home…" she trailed off.

Ichigo's face softened. Rumi had come from a pretty broken family, where her parents constantly argued.

"So who are these two?" Rumi smirked looking at Rukia and Renji, her eyes lingering on the latter for a second longer as he looked up from his lounging.

"Uh these are my other friends Rukia and Renji. Guy's this is Watanabe Rumiko, I used to know her back in Junior High and Elementary school"

"Oh. Nice to meet you Watanabe-san" Rukia bowed fiddling with her phone.

"Call me Rumi. Everyone does. Besides Watanabe sounds way too stuck up!"

"I'll keep that in mind" Rukia smiled before her phone beeped as a message came through "Uh sorry, just trying to text my brother" she lied quickly.

Rumi nodded.

"It's ok take your time." She turned to Renji smirking "So you're name's Renji right?"

"Uh yeah" Renji muttered before standing up. "Hey that Takeshi guy said there was a vending machine over there, you guys want anything?"

"No thanks' I'm fine" Ichigo shook his head. Renji turned to look at Rumi.

"How 'bout you?"

"I'm fine too but thanks anyway" Rumi smiled, her eyes very intrigued as they wandered over the red head's shoulders.

"Suit yourselves" Renji shrugged, not noticing her roaming eyes, before walking across the room.

"Hmm he's cute" Rumi muttered low so that only Ichigo could hear.

"Pff as if" Ichigo snorted rolling his eyes. The day he admitted Renji was good looking would be the day cows danced on a green moon.

"And what about her?"

"What Rukia? Yeah I suppose she's-" But Ichigo stopped at the sly smile plastered over the girl's face.

"Ha!" she grinned as Ichigo's face turned bright red "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Ichigo pouted, folding his arms grumpily.

"Seriously Berry-tan do I look like an idiot" Rumi grinned as Ichigo scowled at his old nickname "you should totally ask her out"

He opened his mouth to hiss back at her when the clack of shoes announced Takeshi's arrival.

"Ahem. Kurosaki-san Watanabe-san would you both please follow me."

"OY Rukia!" Ichigo called and Rukia looked up from her phone.

"Oh you guys going in already?"

"Yeah. We'll be out soon ok!"

"Ok! Renji and I will wait here" she nodded before turning back to her phone.

Ichigo turned back and followed Takeshi and Rumi out of the room trying to ignore the latter's sly smirk.

They were taken to a small room with a long bare metal table in the centre. There were several seats arranged around but two were positioned directly opposite a camera that sat on the table.

Ichigo and Rumi exchanged a nervous glance before sitting down in those two chairs.

"I hope you don't mind" Takeshi smiled kindly as he sat down opposite them behind the camera. "It's just so that we have a record of your responses"

Rumi was about to open her mouth to agree but Ichigo cut across her, giving her a quick look.

"Wait one moment" He spared Takeshi a sharp look "Before we agree to answer anything I have to ask. Why are we even being questioned in the first place?"

Takeshi's polite smile fell from his face and turned into a grim frown. He reached into the pockets of his trench coat and pulled out a sky blue cell phone with a silver dragon charm attached.

"Do either of you recognise this?"

He placed it on the table top and slid it across to Ichigo who caught it before it could slide off.

"Can't say I do" Ichigo checked it out. There was a faint reddish brown stain around the back shaped suspiciously like fingers

"Who does it belong to?" Ichigo looked at Takeshi who narrowed his eyes.

"I thought you could tell me."

Ichigo flipped the phone open and he gasped. On the screen background was the picture of a teenage girl, with long brown hair and a sweet smiling face hugging a prepubescent boy with spiky black blue hair close.

"What?" Rumi looked worried. Ichigo held the phone out for her to look at. She clapped a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my gods. Chihiro"

"So you do know her?" Takeshi quirked an eyebrow.

"We-We…the three of us were friends back in elementary school" Rumi bit her lip and wiped at her eye lined eyes.

"I-Is that blood?" He may have been a shinigami before but Ichigo couldn't help the slight quaver in his voice as he turned over the phone to look back at the red finger marks.

"Yes…" Takeshi said softly. "A couple of weeks ago in Machimori reported a domestic disturbance inside the Ogino residence. We found Mr and Mrs Ogino both shot dead within the house and their two children missing along with several of their possessions. Now don't misunderstand me Kurosaki san"

Takeshi added quickly seeing Ichigo open his mouth angrily.

"I have collected the reports on the family and if I were to guess right, Miss Chihiro was not of the violent kind. Even though she was involved in a street gang at the age of thirteen"

"What?" Ichigo stiffened.

"According to many in the town, following there were…issues within the Ogino family following Mr Akio Ogino's sacking at the Machimori hospital for his drinking problem. Then his wife apparently was having an affair with a younger man leaving Chihiro and Tomaki on their own to survive. For the first year of her parents separation Chihiro joined a street gang. Thankfully she didn't go to far with them."

"What happened?" Ichigo frowned.

"Her little brother Tomaki was involved in a car accident and she had to take care of him"

Rumi now could not hide her watering eyes but Ichigo was finding it surprisingly easy to hide his shock. But maybe that was because he was too busy keeping eye contact with Takeshi whose gaze had not strayed from his face.

"I understand this all must be a very nasty shock for you. However me and my…that is to say we, the police force, do not believe that Chihiro and her little brother are dead."

"And what do you mean by that?" Ichigo looked up at the older man. Was it just his imagination or did the dark blue eyes just glint red as they eyed the blood spatter on the phone. Rumi didn't seem to notice. It seemed as if she was too shocked to really notice anything.

Takeshi kept talking still in that same soft voice "I assure you I mean no disrespect. Despite obviously not knowing all this information you both seem to be very close to the victims. Which is why I have no doubt you'll be able to help me. You see…you two were the last people Chihiro had called on that phone. Care to tell me why?"

Ichigo was in no doubt now. His words and mannerisms were correct for the circumstances but there was something about the tone that just didn't sit right with him. The blue eyes glinted red again and Ichigo swore he could've smelt something, something dead and decaying.

Something in his gut dropped, just like it always used to whenever he was in trouble.

Rumi opened her mouth to speak but Ichigo clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Who are you?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes ignoring Rumi's angry splutters.

Takeshi raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry Kurosaki san but I do not quite follow"

"Don't bullshit me! You aren't even human are you?"" Ichigo snarled. Rumi finally managed to remove his hand from her mouth.

"Berry tan stop! He's just a detectiv-" she gesticulated towards Takeshi but Ichigo grabbed her hand and pulled it away from him.

"Rumi get back now!" Ichigo yelled, his battle instincts kicking in as he surveyed his surroundings.

Takeshi had been smart. The room was windowless and small. He'd placed Ichigo and Rumi on the side of the table furthest away from the door, with his own seat placed conveniently in front. They couldn't get out without one of them getting hurt.

"Ichigo are you on cra-" Rumi struggled as Ichigo tried forcing her behind his back but froze as Takeshi's polite smile turned into a feral sneer.

"Hmm…you were able to see through my disguise?" the two teens watched in horror as the blunt teeth began changing shape before their very eyes. Now they were pointed and jagged looking more like teeth out of a shark's mouth. "Not bad boy. I can see why Lord Aizen was interested in you"

"Rumi get behind me now!" Ichigo yelled as the nails on the man's hands began to elongate into razor sharp claws. His skin had gone so pale that it was chalk white. His eyes, sclera and all had turned a deep bloody crimson. His hair meanwhile had grown out like a mane and had hardened into spines that trailed from his head, down his back all the way to a now emerging reptilian tail that was tipped with a large sting.

Rumi shrieked as Ichigo shielded her from the full impact of the monsters claws as it pounced on them.

"OH defending the girl are you? How noble and chivalrous" the monster roared with laughter

Ichigo gritted his teeth to block out the pain. He felt his shirt being torn away along with a large chunk of his skin from his back as the monster tore at him with knife like claws.

Finally he felt something lodge itself in his back. Rumi's terrified screams echoed in his ears as he keeled over sideways his vision darkening to black.

* * *

><p>"So…you died?"<p>

All the captains were staring at Ichigo and Rumi, both of whom were looking very nervous.

"Yeah we kinda did" Ichigo scratched the back of his head.

"I see" Yamamoto frowned looking down at the wooden floor.

Ichigo looked around the room. Many captains looked thoughtful, some very unimpressed especially Mayuri and Kenpanchi, the latter even looking disappointed. Ichigo looked down at the floor. Despite knowing he couldn't have done much in that situation, he felt rather stupid. He'd faced so many dangers in the past two years and yet he was easily taken down in a few moments by a creature smaller than a hollow.

"It's not your fault" Rumi said quietly as she put a consoling hand on her friends shoulder.

She looked up and caught Renji's eye. He gave a tiny nod of recognition and stepped forwards addressing the head captain "To be fair Captain Commander, Ichigo cannot be blamed for his and Rumi's death. No one could've known that this…creature would turn up and attack. As I was in charge of this mission to the human world I take full responsibility for anything that has happened."

Ichigo looked up in surprise. Renji was his friend but he never expected him to stand up for him in his humiliation.

He waited with bated breath as Yamamoto surveyed Renji, then him and Rumi. His eyes lingered on them both for a moment as if he were seeing something that wasn't there.

"Very well then" He looked back up at Renji who straightened up at once. "Since you are adamant about taking full responsibility for them they may stay in your division."

"What about school and home?" Rumi asked quickly.

"We'll try and find a way around that as soon as we can Watanabe-chan" Unohana spoke up from her spot smiling kindly "but before anything else why don't you and Kurosaki-kun come by the fourth division and take a look at those injuries. Just in case they need some extra care?"

"Thank you very much Unohana-san but I don't think-"

"Oh it won't take too long I swear"

Ichigo and Rumi both shrank back as Unohana's smile became extremely polite and her eyes very cold and demanding.

"Oh…ok…thank you mam" Ichigo shuddered.

"Good!" Yamamoto barked as he hit his staff on the ground "Now, Abarai Taicho, until we can figure out what to do with these two youngsters," He nodded to Ichigo and Rumi "they will be under your care in the fifth division. Try your best to keep them out of too much trouble"

"I can't make any promises about that sir" Renji smirked as Ichigo's scowl turned especially foul.

"Nonetheless try" Yamamoto raised an eyebrow "Meanwhile I am placing all of your squads on high alert. Muguruma taicho can I rely on you to send a message to Urahara Kisuke and the other Visored's in the human world concerning all that has happened."

"Yes sir…not like I really have a choice" Kensei muttered the last bit under his breath folding his arms.

"Very well then I hereby adjourn this meeting of captains." He banged his staff once more on the ground.

Everyone turned to leave.

"see you later" Kokoro muttered to Matsumoto and Rukia as she stood up quickly.

As she rushed towards the sliding door she bumped into Hitsugaya.

"Ready to get out of here?" he muttered.

"Yeah I don't fancy staying here" she resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. She didn't need to look back to know that there were many pairs of eyes watching her.

"nor me" Hitsugaya agreed just as Unohana's voice called out to them.

"Lieutenant Shiro and Captain Hitsugaya!"

They both froze mid step and turned slowly to come face to face with the mild mannered healer, who was now hitting them full force with her sinister smile as she spoke in a low voice.

"I understand you'd like to enjoy more private time together but could you please come immediately to the fourth division. Captains Ukitake, Shunsui, Byakuya, Head Captain Yamamoto and I would like a word with you in private."

"Yes Unohana Taicho" Hitsugaya mumbled. Unohana smiled and turned to Kokoro who looked over the woman's shoulder to see all the other men standing sheepishly with Ichigo and Rumi, looking just about as terrified as she felt.

"Yes mam" Kokoro gulped.

Forget the head captain, no one dare messes with Retsu Unohana.

* * *

><p>Wow! finally managed to finish this chapter. I've been stuck on it for ages.<p>

Yeah so Ichigo died. I'm so mean. lol Unohana's scary smile. I just got back to watching the anime and I just had to put her in like that.

Can you guys guess the cross over yet? hehe!

Keep R&Ring for more.


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